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RIG meeting recap
Of about a dozen people at the Readers Input Group meeting (Thursdays, 10 a.m., Library, open to all), I’m guessing I was in the minority, as I voted for Prop. 1/Lid lift/EMS levy (circle one). I was in the extreme minority in general, as this was LOUDLY voted down. At my invitation, councilman Garland French came by to talk to the group about his take on an EMS Utility (originally presented as an option to council by Chief Jim Hodges, about a year ago). French said he sensed a couple weeks ago that Prop. 1 was in danger, and started researching EMS utilities; Aberdeen, Hoquiam and Montesano have them, a monthly fee that goes for emergency services. He said he realized an EMS utility would be controversial: “You know it’s going to be political, people thinking ‘You’re just working around the vote of the people . . .’”
Even so, he thinks a utility can be enacted quickly, as an EMS stop-gap: “you don’t need new ambulances . . . just maintain where you are now.”
But how to make this seem like a legitimate alternative, and not just a lid lift in disguise?
French agreed that tax payers must be shown that this isn’t an “end around,” but a solid, short-term fix. He said he and Mayor Dean Bunkers spoke on the phone this morning, with the idea of forming a committee that would include at least one citizen, to look at a potential EMS utility.
French said his numbers were extremely preliminary, but that he believed a per-user utility charge of $4.30 per month would work. (For the owner of a $200,000 home, this would be about half what the proposed lid lift for EMS would have cost.)
This is the real problem of Ocean Shores “But how to make this seem like a legitimate alternative, and not just a lid lift in disguise?” Council and employees spend too much time trying to make things seem what they are not, to convince taxpayers disguises don’t exist. That Taj Mahals are free because they are paid for by a Real Estate Investment Tax that is disappearing. Council’s motto should be “Who are you going to believe? Your own eyes or us?”
bah humbug!
The billing is a problem. However, the sharing of the cost of being available in the first place is the issue we are bringing forward. You called. We responded. However, even if you are billed for the call, that is all you pay for. We pay for the cost of them being available. That is the part we want corrected. If in your taxes you paid for supporting the EMS department, you would then be truly helping the situation. That is the difference. We get to pay for the availability and when called we too pay for the services rendered. Maybe you can get your neighbors to vote in a tax to pay for either your own EMS service or support our service. That is all we are asking for.
We live at hogans corner. My 44yr. old son had a stroke and we called 911 last week. At the time I didn’t care where they came from or what I was being charged. You people act like we expect service with out paying. Your city is the one that can’t seem to bill for services. We are not leaches. You can’t seem to collect from yourself and get it right.
If they choose not to join, then we choose not to provide any services to them. It is a simple choice. It is sort of like the port. We pay and pay and pay, but do we see anything real from the port, no. They say people live here, well, that is nice. Is the port willing to pay for everyone’s home here too? We surely do not get back in sales and property tax what we give them. The same is for our services for Police, Fire and EMS outside the gates.
It is a two way road. They must pay to play.
I asked French about extending the utility “beyond the gates.” He thought it was a good idea, but something where “they may choose to join” — emphasis on “choose” (as opposed to inside the city, where the fee could be attached to a utility/water bill).
It is less, but the utility should be extended beyond the city to all the North Beach if they want any type of service from Ocean Shores. It would be a requirement before any mutual aid support is given for any reason.
The reason the other cities have a utility is because property values are so low. That is the only way they can expand upon their EMS Levy they also have. They also have larger populations to support. Hoquiam and Aberdeen are 25 thousand people. We are 5 thousand people. It was part of the plan to do a levy first and then the utility to grow it even bigger. Now they are forced to do it backwards. First the utility and then the levy. Start looking at the budget elements beyond personnel. Why vehicles for all of these people? Why are they taking them home to places out of the city? Take real wage cuts for everyone either in holidays, furlow days, or other methods. People can be cross trained to minimize impact to citizens. That way someone can cover for the other person when they are off that particular day. If there are 82 people and 18 from Water and Sewer are exempted, then we have 64 people left. The city must act to reduce costs everywhere. The 4th of July is a start. Ask the county for the 45 thousand it costs us above our normal cost to host that day. Ask for more to support police and fire to areas outside the city, including the beach. We must be as thrifty with our money as they are willing to spend it. They see us as the cash cow. Well this cow is not giving any milk now.