ZAP! #21....August 20, 2010
From the same group that is attempting to provide voodoo financing for the proposed Entertainment Center (today’s projected cost is $250,000 million), comes a city council still in the dark about: current economic conditions, understanding residential unrest over egregious city spending, wondering where all the “savings” are that the city manager -- paid more than the president of the United States -- continues to tout has disappeared to.
While the council is still “retreating” on the budget -- three days of mind-numbing PowerPoint and video presentations to secrete financial flaws and cost -- one has to wonder: Do these individuals realize that they are committing and spending our money? Do these individuals realize that the relief that property owners received from lower appraisal values this year will be totally erased by their outrageous actions? Has the council considered that in tough economic times property owners have to make budget adjustments and do not have an unlimited source of income to keep “spending/services” at the same level as the previous year?
If any of this concerns you at all, then now is the time to let your elected -- often led by the nose by city the city manager -- know your feelings. At the present, the city council is preparing to increase your property taxes by 5%, your water/sewer rates another 5% (remember the 5% increase last month), and who knows what other “fee” will creep into their planning for the 2010-11 budget. How difficult would it be to actually trim services (not police or fire) or programs that are not essential to the actual safety and welfare of the citizens to avoid increasing taxes on anything? And does the council have to have such an aggressive bond spending program in the coming year?
Time to act is growing short. Attend the public budget hearing. Send council members an e-mail. Call council members on the phone. Remember, if they cannot listen to your concerns now, then maybe they will when the next election cycle comes around. This is one message that they might actually understand.
Ringtail Productions Limited
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