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How the new mayor sees it
In the fall, the North Coast News submitted Readers Input Group (“RIG the Paper”) questions on various issues to City Council candidates. Garland French was running unopposed for reelection. Here are the answers provided by the man just appointed mayor of Ocean Shores for the next two years:
1. General Fund Balance / Reserve
The general fund balance should provide for reasonable contingency needs and maintain a level satisfying current and future credit rating requirements. This must be established during annual budget development and reviewed along with regular budget and financial status.
Interfund loans should not be used for reserve creation. These loans should be used only for emergency funding needs that can arise during the course of the year, and only with proper validation of need and repayment assurance.
2. Budget Balance and Adjustment
Any budget re-balancing should be done only after complete and concise definition of the issue and complete evaluation of alternatives and their affect. The potential solution may include other than tax increases or cuts. No changes should be made based on conjecture, opinion or arbitrary assumptions.
3. Library
I have seen several writings offering data and arguments both ways. Any decision should be based on council evaluation of the benefits, employee impact and costs of going with Timberland or remaining a city Library.
4. Bond Rating
Bond rating is based on our overall financial strength and debt situation. Maintaining this is more a matter of budget development, project planning and debt management than budget priorities. This is part of our overall financial and budget development and oversight responsibility.
5. EMS Levy
My financial solution if the EMS Levy fails will be to fund it.
EMS is priority #1. It is our only emergency resource. It is the Council’s duty and responsibility to adequately fund and resource EMS at the level necessary to ensure its continued capability and responsiveness.
I can not support any further cuts to EMS. All other options will be on the table. It would be inappropriate to discuss those options before we finish 2010 budget planning. But, there is no question that other city services and needs will be seriously impacted if the levy fails.
I hope this won’t be on the table once citizens overcome the misinformation from the levy opposition and are able to decide the levy based on the true merits and facts.
6. Roundabout and Streets
I feel very positive about the value and enhancement the roundabout and street improvements bring. But, I am not so positive about how we have approved, managed, communicated and overseen these projects.
These have been typical of major projects that evolved from one decision at a time agendas, too often culminating in a final surprise ending. A total project plan, scheduling and sequencing of work, costs and project status has not been well communicated or visible.
There are reasons and explanations for many of the problems. There is much that was done well and much that was not. There is clearly room for improvement. The council must take an objective look at how we have been doing business, apply “lessons learned” and make the necessary change to how we approve, manage, oversee and communicate major projects.
The Street Maintenance Fund will be an important element in our 2010 budget development.
7. Budget Cuts / Priorities
Budget cuts must not be based on personal priority, opinion or subjectivity. They have to be made on the merits of alternatives after careful analysis and evaluation of overall financial and budget status, projections and impacts.
Cuts should be made first to the lowest priority areas, meaning those with the least risk impact if reduced or eliminated, and then only after careful consideration of all options.
8. Current Union Contracts
I support fair pay and benefits for our city employees and have no issues with unions in general. However, we have some serious cost containment problems with our current contracts. Previous administration and union contract agreements established certain pay and benefit growth provisions that are not sustainable with our budget and revenue situation.
We are on the right track by initiating talks and negotiations with the remaining union that has so far resisted working together with the city to find win-win solutions.
9. Speed limits
I supported the speed limit changes and still do. I understand the resistance by many who are not comfortable with the new speeds. There is still some misunderstanding about the reason for the changes. Many refer to the changes as efforts to control speeders. The change was not about speed enforcement, it was about community safety. The main focus was on residential streets and pedestrian safety.
10. Jetty Flooding
I support resident proposals for a brum/geotube solution with additional pedestrian and landscaping applications. I don’t feel like city staff has been responsive to this problem. There are some issues to resolve. The Corp of Engineers must also be involved as there are jetty impact concerns to address. This subject has a win-win solution and we need to get the council involved and I believe a joint community effort to get it done.
11. Youth Services
I would like to see youth mentoring and service opportunities in city government. In terms of recreation, I support the skate board park and also want to see more assertive parks programs focusing on youth sports, development activities and facilities. I believe there is an opportunity for the community club and city to partner here also.
12. Reading and Understanding Agenda Items
It has been my practice since taking office to do independent review and evaluation of information before voting. I collect and review all that I can and often contact outside sources. I do not rely only on the materials, information and presentations by city staff. I consider it, and compare it to other information and then decide on the merits. It is the job of council to question, challenge and objectively evaluate before voting. I believe that is what the citizens have a right to expect of us.
13. Top 10 Issues (Priorities)
We have a long list of “to dos”. Some top issues (priorities):
1. Public Safety and Security
2. Council Leadership, Oversight and Decision Process
3. Capital Project Management and Oversight
4. Open, Transparent Government and Public Communication
5. Balanced Growth and Development
6. Economic Development, Business Diversity and Growth
7. City Facilities Plan, Downtown and South End Revitalization
8. Street and Facilities Maintenance Plan
9. Parks and Recreation and Community Services
10. Weatherwax Preservation and Wetland Banking Plan
14. New Income Sources
New income (revenue) sources are perhaps better defined as growing and diversifying our economic base. We currently have a business economy dependent on visitors/tourists. Our overall economy, that upon which we depend to fund city operations and infrastructure, is residential and commercial real estate based. Property taxes, utility fees and utility taxes provide over 70% of city revenue.
We need to focus on attracting new businesses that compliment, not compete with current businesses and that help move us toward a sustainable year round economy. We are the commercial hub of the North Beach and should consider businesses and services that attract north beach visitors and residents. We need to aggressively promote Ocean Shores as a residential and retirement community. Retirement and health related businesses and services should be a priority focus. We are an ideal location for home based businesses. Let’s promote that too.
15. Water Rates
It is my intention to reduce water rates. The mayor has also expressed that intent. The August, 28, 2008 Brown and Caldwell Cost of Service and Water Rate Study recommended rate reductions to a base rate of 9.89 and cubic ft. rate of 0.0506, down from the current base rate of 13.92 and cubic ft. rate of .0.0525. This study and its companion, the Water Utility Financial Plan are the baseline plans for maintenance, operation and improvements to Water facilities. The recommended rates would offset other taxes and fees and reduce overall resident costs.
16. Port
We are more than paying our share of Port taxes with little benefit to the city or marina. What we can and can’t do is constrained by law and port priorities. This also relates to the Marina question. We need a defined plan and we can then approach the Port with specifics and strong backing by plan participants.
17. Marina
The city must partner with the Quinault owners, County and the port as well as coordinating with the applicable government agencies to first get the marina basin dredged so it can accommodate traffic. We should also work with the Quinault owners and develop a cooperative development strategy and plan and then move forward with action.
18. Water Cost Accounting
We definitely need an accounting of water system costs. We have spent hundreds of thousands in consultant fees, with more work statement changes and additions coming. Construction costs keep increasing, and city staff has still not provided a full and complete listing of plans, projects, work statements and estimated costs. Operating and maintenance costs have not been fully disclosed. These are also much higher than has been presented. There are also contingencies and other known issues with significant cost potential that have not been presented or discussed.
19. Cost Escalation / Stop the Project
Costs have already escalated from the initial 6.0 million to 11.5 million with the latest proposed additions, and there is much more to come.
I would be reluctant to suggest that we kill the program, but it is reasonable to ask if we are throwing more good money after bad. We are still paying for the last treatment plant and system, now another. Our city well water will always be difficult and costly to treat. We could have purchased “tap ready” county water requiring no city treatment for a fraction of what we will spend. We could have focused our grant and low interest loan efforts on county participation and our distribution system fixes. Is it too late to re-evaluate where we are going and make a course correction if appropriate? Would the government agencies allow us to re-direct monies (as it did with the 1.4 million 1% loan)? The council majority has not shown much interest in questioning the plan, but it may be about time to do so. Also, where are the people on this?
20. Financial Qualifications
I was the department business operations manager for a good part of my management career. We worked with the company finance department and organization management and developed, coordinated, approved and monitored the annual business operating plan, department budgets, capital plan, computing plan, manpower plans and long and short range forecasts.
I have also been on the other side of the fence as an organization manager where I had to submit and justify these plans.
21. Fresh Waterways
We have made great progress in cleaning up our waterways, but this is another area where we need a better defined plan. Council is again getting agenda items one at a time without a total picture of purpose and objectives. The Fresh Waterways group has done great work here and city staff has made good efforts. But, there is no coherent plan. I intend to ask council to establish a policy and plan that can be managed and monitored on a regular basis. That plan will ensure that we make cost effective decisions that builds on the good work already done.
The City Council needs to read its own mission statement and follow it.
The only thing one can do now is vote against all tax levies. Vote out all incumbents. Unfortunately It may have reached the point where even voting means nothing anymore. What is to be left left but to walk away and refuse to pay all taxes. Somehow this lack of response to taxpayers has got to stop.
It doesn’t even matter if taxpayers would prefer to pay less for less service. Our selfish government which is no longer democratic only thinks of itself and how to trick people into paying more for less.
Ratio-horatio-who really cares. The point really is the retirees got the golden rod once again–no raise and more fees. What we need are more taxes and bigger and better levies so that we can go out and get part time jobs to afford to just sustain ourselves at existing levels. Oh, I forgot, unemployment is over 10% and all the part time jobs are already taken up by people in our work force just trying to survive.
I have to go now to get my resume ready to apply for the city council opening. Find work wherever you can get it.
The operative words here are: “COLA is equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index” It is not a Cost of Living Index. It is a Cost of Living Adjustment. Therefore, using the definition of inflation, which is the change of the Consumer Price Index over a period of time, as chosen by the government, over the starting Consumer Price Index. Therefore the ratio give the relative change in the Consumer Price Index.
It is not very complex. I think they teach this type of math in grade school.
Thank you, CitizensAgainstCrime, for such an informative response. You did prove my point, however, that increases in SS or military retirement are not directly tied to inflation – it is a FACTOR in a very complicated formula. Glad you can tell the difference between a horse and a chicken.
So How does Inflation or Deflation relate to the CPI?
“Price Inflation” is the percentage increase in the price of the basket of products over a specific period of time.
“Price Deflation” is, of course, the percentage decrease in the price of the basket of products over a specific period of time.
For convenience Price Inflation has been shortened in common usage to simply “Inflation” and similarly Price Deflation has been shortened to “Deflation”.
(*Interestingly this is not Webster’s definition of Inflation… More)
In order to calculate the percent of inflation or deflation we have to use the Consumer Price Index as a starting point.
So assuming You wanted to calculate the inflation rate from July 2000 until July 2008.
You need to know the CPI for the starting and ending dates. So the CPI index in July 2000 is 172.8 and the CPI index is 219.964 in July 2008. (Note they went to a three decimal place accuracy in between).
The formula is: (end -start)/start
so we have (219.964-172.8)/172.8 =
47.164/172.8= .2729
Now that has to be converted to a percent so we multiply it by 100 to get 27.29% inflation.
Normally, the inflation rate is calculated on an annual basis for example from July 2007 until July 2008. That will give you the amount of inflation in one year. Which is typically called “The Inflation Rate”.
So from this example we can see how the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to calculate the actual inflation rate.
http://inflationdata.com/inflation/Inflation_Articles/Inflation_or_CPI.asp
For the impact on Social Security,
The Social Security Act specifies a formula for determining each COLA. In general, a COLA is equal to the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) from the third quarter of one year to the third quarter of the next. If there is no increase, there is no COLA.
COLA Computation
For the December 2009 COLA, we measure the increase (if any) in the average CPI-W from the third calendar quarter of 2008 to the third quarter of 2009. These averages are 215.495 and 211.001 for the third calendar quarters of 2008 and 2009, respectively, and are derived from monthly CPI-Ws developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/latestCOLA.html
The cost of living index is directly tied to the consumer price index, which is: “an index of the cost of all goods and services to a typical consumer”, which is inflation, which is:”The overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy”. Call a horse a chicken, but it still remains a horse.
“If there was inflation the people on social security would have gotten an increase.” Wrong! Social Security and military retirement are not tied to inflation, they are tied to the Cost of Living Index. Entirely different.
Someone sounds so negative here. Other than claiming that everyone else is not paying enough taxes to support all the things that they wants.
I think the assessor uses the same cost per thousand for all the property here, except for those that are exempt. They freeze the valuation. They reduce the special and excess taxes for those exempt individuals.
However, everyone else pays the same.
What inflation? If there was inflation the people on social security would have gotten an increase.
It is the city trying to budget based upon everything but property taxes. Those are the payments made by the residents that vote and the owners of property that may or may not vote. However, the other things, sales taxes, B&O taxes, permits and other fees are paid by visitors and residents. Visitors could be tourist or business people that speculate on real estate and construction. However, when they do not come or do not invest because of the economy the city revenues suffer. We have to live on property taxes paid for by a town of 5000 people and realize we are not Seattle.
The other counties may have different taxes than our’s. They also have more tax revenue from more houses, businesses, and other resources.
Until we change the mix of businesses, find other sources or revenue and see tourism as one of our industries, we will flounder.
Garland is at least recognizing this by what he says. Now it is time for our council, citizens and mayor to seek solutions outside of Ocean Shores that have worked elsewhere. This too Garland has identified and spoken to.
Attacking the messengers is negative. Opposition is not negative. The world is not black and white. Opposition is a way to get the city back into equalibrium. Look where “Be Happy, Don’t Worry” has gotten Jamaica and other places. We need the Ying and Yang here to balance us.
“Maybe you should vonunteer some time to the city.”
I do, how about you?
Yep, costs do go up. Like our “free” roundabout that now is up to $3 million and the State is going to pay only $1.3M of it.
Or the $6M water treatment with the “Free” $3M Federal Stimulus and the other $3M at only 1% interest. It’s already at $7M and is projected to run $15 million before it’s done. Nobody’s died from the water, so do we really need a new system at this time?
And who knows what else is lurking in the fertile minds of those “in charge”.
By the way, we were paying about 22 cents for the library. It could continue to operate with that if they would give it to us.
And that’s full time, not the short staffed, reduced hours it’s now struggling with. I also expect that to be gone April 1st when the city decides it can’t afford to fund the current FTE.
Sometimes it seems that bankruptcy may be the only way out.
Ups & Downs
We taxpayers contributed quite a substantial salary to a Mayor to try to keep this city within budget no matter what the economic times dictated. Remember his promises when he took office? What some of his solutions were, was to borrow money from the water utility to balance the budget and advocate a utility tax after voters overwhelmingly vetoed it in the last election, and to form a committee to dispel the opposition’s statements, which backfired on him.
In these bad economic times did we really need to spend 1.6M of utility and road LID money on a roundabout and invest millions in a water treatment plant, when we could have done just as well, or better with county water and a couple traffic lights until we could afford greater improvements? Sure there was a 3m treatment plant grant and a 1.3m sidewalk grant, but the other millions came out of the rate payers and taxpayers pockets, which are not bottomless. We were promised a utility rate reduction, but did we ever get it? You’re right-its not about unions or employees-its about the abilities of an administrator to manage city funds with the resources at hand. We are in the world where we all have to learn to manage with less and less income, and the solution is not to raise taxes on already overburdened taxpayers. Maybe YOU should step out in the real world for a change and ask what happened to our last social security inflation increase, and why medicare fees were just raised for our retired people, with the price of all commodities going up daily, then ask the members of this retirement community why they, on fixed incomes, can’t afford another city tax increase. We’re on the computer just looking for ways to survive.
Yes, you are paying taxes for library, but obviously not enough. Thats why there is a threat of shutting it down. The amount of taxes is not enough to keep it open along with other departments. HELLO? Its not about Unions, Its not about employees, Its about economy. Things increase, Costs goes up in operations everything goes up. Go look at other counties not just Grays Harbor, What are taxes there? Like someone once said on here ” We pay for what we get” If you don’t pay, You are not getting it! It’s individuals on this site that seem to think they should point fingers at council or others, Maybe they should look where the other three fingers are pointing. Right back at you! What do you expect the council to do? There is not enough money. Maybe you should vonunteer some time to the city. Go out in the world and see what is really happening instead sitting on the computer complaining.
“People complain because they dont have services (library) but you will not pay for it.”
I don’t remember being asked if I would pay for the library or not. All I remember is that “If we would pass the EMS Levy” that it would free up funds in the GF for “other things”. No guarantee that the library would be funded. Besides, we were already paying for the library in our taxes. the city decided to take it away without asking the taxpayers.
“If you don’t like what is happening or what the council is doing which you as majority of the people voted into council, Maybe time to move away people!”
Talk about negative! You know, that street runs both ways. Maybe you should consider moving to a gated community where you can have warm and fuzzy feelings with all the amenities you seem to desire and not having to listen to those of us that aren’t happy with tax increases in order to pay bloated salaries, project over-runs and other such things that you seem to want.
Ups and Downs-Where did you ever get the impression that our taxes are “low”? We have the highest assessed value of any city in the county, and pay the highest taxes, per capita, for any resident in the county. I suggest you thoroughly analyze this report before you go any further in your claims.
http://www.co.grays-harbor.wa.us/info/assessor/Docs/LevyPacket2008For2009Tax.pdf
Maybe we all need to realize that we can’t keep taxes low forever. Yes, bad timing. I dont see any other way out of this except to raise taxes. People complain because they dont have services (library) but you will not pay for it. If you don’t like what is happening or what the council is doing which you as majority of the people voted into council, Maybe time to move away people! You voted these individuals into positions, Let them do their job and quit micro managing. Pretty sure if we could get rid of the negative people in this community we would all be alot happier. Cheers!
Only a double thinker can ask “Where are the people on this?” in 19. and ignore where the people are when they vote 69% against in 5. EMS Levy.
You either care or you don’t care where the people are. By going against what a large majority of the people voted for, is proof a person does not care. More mistrust is created.
This is not a good sign for consistency and fairness for the next two years. It is a warning people may not be able to trust anything.
Yeah gee, that’s exactly what I would have said,but Mr. French said it first, and if you believe that……..
point taken
Tom, Understand-but I also understand that he was mayor pro-tem and is the one that put it on the agenda, and as Mr. Bunkers always said, if it appears on the agenda, that means I (the mayor) approved of it. Different chorus, same song.
Note to Mark: As mayor, French did not vote on the motion, re the lid lift/EMS levy. (It passed, 6-0).
Did you notice that it was across the street from the GH Community Hospital Emergency room. That is the reason it failed, That is the point!! Why put such a facility there? We are here 20 plus miles away. The Emergency Room then is Aberdeen and Hoquiam’s Urgent Care Facility. We need one here on the North Beach. Not a clinic like Sea Mar, but a real Urgent Care facility. Colds, fevers, and slight scratches should be going to the doctor during normal business hours. Have you noted that they want to put a hospital in Elma to take patient traffic from Aberdeen? Oh, they are 20.91 miles and 27 minutes from there!!! I guess they have figured that out.
If you did not notice, the Urgent Care facility that WAS just across the parking lot from the Emergency room at GH Community Hospital is now gone. Our population does NOT support the economic viability of such a facility or it would likely already be here in Ocean Shores. It would be nice to have, but making it posssible is a much more daunting task!
Good to get this out there right now. The hand picked committee that reviewed the EMS issue clearly supported the opposition’s position about outsourcing billing, getting the county to contribute to our baseline costs and move away from the per call system, poor collections and billing by one person does not compare to multiperson professional services, service is unsustainable across the whole country and therefore there can be no keeping service levels at current levels or higher without bankrupting all the cities, data is still needed to evaluate the services since that data stopped in June 2009, continue cost reductions that reflect real revenue obtained, Medicare and Medicaid will possibly provide lower payments in the future, increased population of Boomers will impact our service in the future, and although not mentioned, use of the facility as the doctor or medical clinic in town is using the most expensive resource for the wrong purpose. Urgent Care is needed here and that means the council, mayor and citizens demand it from Grays Harbor Community Hospital. That would save in transport time and expenses. Our equipment and people would be able to service more calls and also reduce wear and tear on our equipment.
Great words. He has already violated number 5 by voting to move forward with the second levy. Let’s see if he has the ****** to move forward with his opinions expressed in 19. My opinion is we should cut our losses and go with county water. Hope he can practice what he preaches.