Sunday, September 10, 2017

CCR 09-10-17 Costly Glacier

the   Controversial  Committee   Report
“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”


“Costly Glacier”

   The movement is so slow and only time will tell if the tip of the city’s tax collection berg crosses into the realm of assisting over-taxed citizens in ‘beautiful downtown Irving.’

   The final public hearing for the 2017-18 city budget and tax rate is Thursday, September 14, 2017, at 7:00 p.m. in Irving City hall.  After this meeting, the city council will later meet to approve the final budget and tax rate.

   Citizen attendance at the first public hearing was extremely minimal.  However, there are reports council members have received more e-mails than usual requesting consideration for reducing the tax rate.  As previously stated, tax payers are being hit hard with increased appraisal rates which have translated into the city reaping large piles of additional revenue.

   Even though Oscar Ward is apparently the only outspoken council member to voice reducing the city’s tax rate, there could be two additional council members who might lean to support such action.  Should this be the case, then only one more council member’s vote, bringing the total tax rate reduction supporters to four, is necessary.  

   The vote to squash the tax reduction effort requires a ‘super’ majority of six votes.  No ‘super’ majority is reached if four council members hold out  plan to vote to reduce the tax rate.  This being the case, then citizens would at least see a slight reduction in their property taxes for next year if the tax rate reduction passes.

   If you haven’t stated your opinion to the city council, then this will be your last opportunity to do so.  Advise the council that you support the effort to reduce the city’s tax rate, and aim for at least one more council member joining the scrum to allow four votes to achieve this task.

   Here are the e-mail addresses to reach members of the city council and city manager.  Let them know today.  After all, this is your money they are collecting and spending.  Shouldn’t you at least be the major stakeholder considered with what should be done?

Irving City Council and City Manager

John Danish   jcdanish@juno.com
Brad LaMorgese   blamorgese@sbcglobal.net
Allan Meagher   ameagher@cityofirving.org
David Palmer   david.palmer1@verizon.net
Phil Riddle   priddle@cityofirving.org
Rick Stopfer   rick@rickleads.com
Kyle Taylor   ktaylor@cityofirving.org
Dennis Webb.  webbdennis7@gmail.com
and city manager:

Chris Hillman.  chillman@cityofirving.org


   Help to slow and melt the city ice berg of increased property tax payments — to fund a bloated city budget — which is slowly creeping down the slippery slope of self-interest agendas.  A little heat on council members and city manager, from tax paying constituents, is the only heat guaranteed to slow the glacier of increased property tax revenues collected.  (See #1 below)

……………………………..Mark Holbrook


REMINDER:  
   (1) Over the past two years, city tax revenues from property tax collections have increased 25.8%.  Of course, your personal income, pension fund, social security, or retirement income has kept pace with this whopping increase…right?  If it hasn’t, then maybe you should be contacting those who are spending all your money from these egregious increases, but not reducing the amount you are having to pay in city taxes.

   (2)  Reducing the city’s tax rate does not eliminate all the proposed increased fees for water, sewer and garbage collection services the city council will soon be approving and implementing.  Reducing the tax rate might help offset some of the increased cost residents will face when they receive their bills for the services.