Wednesday we published a letter on page one from Bob Agler discouraging city commissioners from passing a deficit budget.
Under the proposed budget, which could be approved by city commissioners as early as Wednesday, the city wants to use more than $1 million, half of its reserve money, to balance their budget for just one year.
The city budget is complicated and new city commissioners have had their work cut out just to understand it.
Bob Agler, a certified public accountant, has spent decades auditing and advising municipalities on city and county budgets.
Most people take the advice of their accountants when it comes to taxes. This situation is no different. We are getting an expert opinion and we need to listen.
The commissioners have tried to do what is best for the community by not raising taxes and not dramatically reducing city services in tough economic times.
However, with a shrinking population and business community we need our revenues to fit our expenses. Draining emergency reserves in the hope that our future revenues will improve is a risky gamble.
If we don’t want to use reserves to fund the deficit budget then two things could happen: The burden could be put on taxpayers by increasing taxes to raise revenues or the burden can be put on city leaders to cut city spending.
The city manager would likely lobby there is no more room for cuts in his $18.8 million dollar general fund budget. However at some point we need to come to the realization our community has shrunk and our city services need to reflect those reductions.
It is up to the city commissioners to hold our city manager accountable to make the tough business decisions.
In tough economic times we don’t want to use reserve funds to solve our budget problem and citizens don’t want tax increases. To be fiscally responsible city operations need to fit the amount of income that is brought in each and every year.
Chris Walker
Editor & Publisher
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
WOW ! What a shock.
August 15, 2011 at 11:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Sorry, Well said Chris!
August 15, 2011 at 11:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
The city manager knows only raising fees!Doesnt have a clue on doing anything else. No bigger than our city is and people moving away everyday time to go away from the city manager type goverment and go with a elected Mayor!
August 15, 2011 at 11:49 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
doubt_it (anonymous) says...
I agree with Steve, WOW!!!!
That was definitely well said.
You know, I am a mother of 4. When all 4 kids were at home, my food budget was very high. Now that I only have 1 child at home, my food budget is much smaller.
Same scenario holds true with the city budget. When we have many residents living here, then it takes more to take care of them. But as residents move out, then it takes less money to take care of them.
What's not to get?
August 15, 2011 at 1:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
True to a point. Smaller population, yes, but we still have the same number of streets, same length of water and sewer pipe, same number of traffic lights, same size library, etc....
August 15, 2011 at 3:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
That's right create, and 1 of 2 things will happen.
Either the town will keep dropping in population and some streets will go back to gravel and we'll have our own wells and outhouses.
Or a lower property tax burden will draw some new people to town, (think retired folks and commuters and web based workers), and that will build a larger tax base for city services.
And by 2030 there won't be very many libraries left . OUCH go ahead and let me have it.
August 15, 2011 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
CHRIS WALKER,
you da man!
All it took was your editorial on this issue to open some ears.
August 15, 2011 at 4 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
railroadhorn (anonymous) says...
Heck, if that's all it took why did it take so long? And what about Walker's wisdom on the county finances and Newman's? I'd like to see that editorial too take a conservative route.
August 15, 2011 at 5:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I wish more people used the library.
I don't want property taxes to be raised either. Already, people are moving to other areas where property taxes are not as high as they are here. That's a damn shame.
Ideally, what I'd like to see is more control of the purse strings period. Not necessarily big cutbacks, just watch common expenditures and don't spend on every little thing that comes down the pike. We are all doing with less, the city should do the same.
August 16, 2011 at 5:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )