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Study up, Council
City Council “Study Session” (public can attend, but not participate), Monday at 1 p.m. at the Convention Center. Agenda:
Discussion
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on Friday, May 6th, 2011 at 12:28 pm and is filed under North Coast News.
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7 Responses to “Study up, Council”
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With a city paying 72% of it’s revenue on salaries and 20% on debt, little if any services are going to be rendered. The next move is to move the EMS Lid Lift to an EMS Special Levy. That takes it out of the General Fund. Oh, they just changed the law and it allows them to charge you 100% of EMS as an utility like in 2010. That would make the choice for you of paying $50 per 100K of house value or $300 on your water bill. Then the Library will be offered as a Timberland or nothing choice so they can get out of the Library business and all the elections and associated costs. Then they will ask for a Special Levy to pay off the city Debt at 400K per year for 20 years. That means a permanent levy like the Point Brown and Sewer levy you see on your tax bill. Then they will take the 90 Cents they have freed up in the General Fund to ask you to pay for “road maintenance” and the 5% raises for staff. You know, contractual obligations. In 2012 the Fire Dept contracts come up for renewal. In 2013 all the others, except exempt employees, come up for renewal. You are effectively paying about 1.76 per 1000 for the Road LID. Even if you paid the money up front, it was an opportunity cost. That is without interest. So, how much more can you afford?
The mowing story. Last year, when citizens complained about the grass along the roads, Lanfear used as an excuse, that they used the 35k he had wanted to spend on a new lawn mower, to hire a code compliance officer, so he couldn’t mow the streets. When more citizens complained, they sent the old lawn mower out to do a half-hearted attempt at mowing. What it appeared happened, is that they didn’t bother to sharpen the blades on the mower, so a better job could’ve done mowing, by using a box fan on wheels. Some say that this was just another ploy by public works to get what they really wanted by doing this sub-standard job of mowing, but draw your own conclusions. In short, the only way the streets will get mowed is if more people appear before council to demand that public works do their job with equipment and manpower at hand, for what city services are we really getting for our tax dollars?
The weeds used to be done by a contractor every summer. He was from Oregon. Why they can’t just have the water meter reader spray the side of the road as they go along meter to meter is beyond me. Two tasks at the same time. Just like the contractor, they have a tank and wand on the truck with an off and on button. When they stop it is off when they are moving it is on. In two months the whole city would be done.
Have they already cut street maintenance? The weeds have already encroached the sides of the new asphalt, even spotted some today growing up through some distance from the side.
Sales and Use Tax Down 21.47% Year over Year (Jan to April)
Hotel Motel Taxes Down 12.8% Year over Year (Jan to April)
Looks like 2011 is not off to the quick start hoped for.
What are the other revenue sources like? Are we going to be ready for 2012? Will the solution be more taxes? Will we see the old “EMS Scare” used for a Special Levy and then another Lid Lift to use the 50 cents freed up as a new levy..Earmarked for what? Will the Library be a Special Levy to free up 32 cents and then add that to the 50 cents so 82 cents could be in the Lid Lift? How about the small amount before they hit the legal limit, 8 cents? Will they add that in for an even 90 cent Lid Lift? How will it all be justified? Will we see some real scrutiny of the budgets and spending? Will be be hamstrung by our contracts? Come Monday Afternoon and hear the discussion.
Maybe you just inadvertently came up with a potential new City motto…. haha
“public can attend, but not participate”
This should be interesting! Where are the expenses at now! Where is the revenue at now! What is going to be cut and will it impact citizens first or last.