How many cuts will we have to make to offset this?
Please click on the header for a story reference gas pricing to hit $10.00 per gallon this year! This is crazy you say? Well the price of oil hit $118.50 per barrel today on the futures market for June, so?
You know major wars have started in the past over oil (remember the cut-off of oil to Japan in 1940?) and this could be no different.
Folks, Crestwood can't make enough cuts to make this work out Even on paper, so I guess we can all expect the dreaded T.I. (tax increase) words soon.
Ah yes, life in the new century!
Tom Ford
NO. 494
You know major wars have started in the past over oil (remember the cut-off of oil to Japan in 1940?) and this could be no different.
Folks, Crestwood can't make enough cuts to make this work out Even on paper, so I guess we can all expect the dreaded T.I. (tax increase) words soon.
Ah yes, life in the new century!
Tom Ford
NO. 494
posted by Crestwood Independent at 17:15
54 Comments:
Remember last Sept.07 when the City said it had over $6,000,000 in cash? Now 7 months later the rumor is we are out of money and will need ANOTHER tax increase. So all those town hall meetings with the dept. heads were just to get us ripe for another tax increase?
I want an audit before I support any tax increase!! I want a state audit, now! Where did the $6,000,000 go?
Is there anyone who reads this blog who feels as I do and wants to start a drive for a state audit or is ever one drinking the kook aid? Does anyone want to start a committee to go against a tax increase, well then speak up now as this is insane to allow these people more of our money after claiming to have more than they needed and claiming no tax increase was needed.
Doesn't anyone who reads this remember just 7 months ago while the 2008 budget was put together by the crack Ways and Means Committee find todays rumor a bit hard to believe?
Why in the wild world of sports would you suggest a costly audit if we have no money?
Roy can explain it to you with just a pencil and a legal pad!
The Ways and Means committee, the BOA and the great mayor robinson have led the citizens of Crestwood down the wrong path.
"So all those town hall meetings with the dept. heads were just to get us ripe for another tax increase?"
That's a good question!
Well Tom, have you gotten enough objections against the tax increase to give to Roy ahead of time so he will have the answers ready for his big meeting tonight
Meeting is tomorrow night - I am sure there will be more chatter regarding NO TAX INCREASES prior to then.......Where are the additional cuts the mayor has communicated to the citizens???????
I will not vote for an increase under the current administration.
Wow three things that get folks in Crestwood up and running seem to be, TIF, TAXES, THE POOL!
Tom Ford
All you pro increase taxers, have you ever wonder how it was reported in July of 2007 that there was a $6,000,000 cash positive balance and how we need an other tax increase or we are going to have to cut service?
Explain how much of an increase? Does anyone have a clue how much is needed, wonder how they would know when they cant figure how to operate with in their own budget.
Of course Ole Tom will tell us to "trust our great City Fathers" like he always likes to tell us to do. Trust them to do what, blow a surplus of $6million of our dollars in less than 10 months and then give them more of OUR money?
Where are the cuts the mayor said we could make in last year, were they ever made? How much in the RED is the City, how long have they know they were in the red, lot of questions that need to be asked before I vote yes for more taxes for Crestwood.
"Of course Ole Tom will tell us to "trust our great City Fathers" like he always likes to tell us to do."
You betcha Red Ryder! You see, they have the facts, we don't, so until I see the red ink pouring out of City Hall, I am behind them!
We have some excellent numbers people up there (Nieder, Foote, Miguel,) and I trust them implicitly with the "farm keys," and so should you unless they are proven wrong (and I doubt that will ever happen.)
I am still telling you to ride out the storm because that's all we can do.
Tom Ford
Well here you go big boy, take a look at this link to City website and key in the report for the 1st quarter 2008. Only fund reported is the general fund.. Wonder why they haven't reported the other funds, bet its' because of the "RED INK pouring out of the doors of City Hall".
Found this under the Administrator link then went to Finance and Personnel, show in the first quarter our beloved City Fathers over spent $1,586,352 of OUR dollars. What else can we do? Don't give them an other penny of our money until they learn how to spend what we are giving them now.
www.ci.crestwood.mo.us/departments/administrative/finance.aspx
Let's look at some spending-
Lease-purchase 10 police cars
SUV for Public Works Director
Grant Road-Pardee Road bridge over Gravois Creek
Rebuilding of Grant Road
Joined TIF lawsuit
How about the avg. cost per firefighter? Instead of a reduction in the number of firefighters, a reduction in the pay per firefighter is what should be done.
The Crestwood firefighters no matter how good they are or how well they are thought of, can only be paid salary that the city can afford.
It doesn't matter how low our taxes are vs. other city's, we are living here, not there and one of the reason is the low tax rate. If we cannot afford to increase our taxes, then the employees can not expect to be paid more.
Post 7:59 PM, April 29, 2008 - the 3 major funds were each on a 1 page summary (imagine that on one page, wonder who requested that!)
General Fund - <$1,586,352>
Parks Storm Water Fund - <$693,657>
Capital Improvement Fund - $232,460
7:59 PM blogger: do you know what the money was spent for? Do you know that assets such as new vehicles, radios, ETC are also counted on a balance sheet?
Go on up to City Hall and they will be very happy to explain it all to you..
What your saying is equivalent to you wife, or husband spending some money, for what you don't know, but you will NEVER give them another cent!
Tom Ford
Tom that is pure Bravo Sierra and you know it.
If what you are saying is correct then even though current Mayor and BOA over spent to the tune of over $2,000,000 in the 1st quarter of this year, then we do not need the tax increase Alderman Foote says we do. So which one is it big boy?
6:17 PM blogger: I disagree my friend! In my business we had a lousy first quarter as many businesses did.
I consider the changes that need to be made, and make them, but committing Harri Kari, or going out of business is not one of them!
I have seen this before (albeit it not as bad,) and we pulled out in the second or even the third quarter to finish the year same as, or ahead of the previous year.
This year will be no different, and I predict that once the race for P.O.T.U.S. is finally on track we will see a change in the economy due to the Fed shoring up the dollar.
The dollar doing poorly against the Euro, ETC is the root cause of high gas prices and you name it. And no, drilling in Anwar or wherever is not going to help because our refining capacity is maxed out now (remember the lib's wouldn't allow us to build a new one for the last 30 years.)
That said, i bet you will see the coffers start to fill up at City Hall with a return to consumer confidence, and all will improve!
Tom Ford
I agree with you Tom, we do not need to raise our property tax, happy days are going to here again, soon!
I think you are right. With the sale of the mall and the new deveopment across the street, revenues will increase.
We don't need no stinking tax increases, per our Mayor.
11:14 PM blogger: The Mayor this, and the Mayor that! Is that the very best you can do? You had your chance, you could have punched your ticket, but you didn't!
I know were all stocked up here on Nay Sayers, so may I suggest you find another crusade to get on. Heck the pool will open soon and you will have other things to do.
There has to be at least one thing in your life that is a happy thing, no? Well tell us about it, and let's get on with the return of Crestwood!
Tom Ford
10:30 There you go again, wanting the sales tax to pay our way; just like in the old days. You see what happens when you decide to let others pay our bill and rely on sales alone to keep us afloat.
The property tax rate in Crestwood is ridiculously low. And many of the previous elected officials used that as leverage for years to keep their constituents happy when we should have been looking at the bigger picture. Had we not "pay as we went" years ago, and kept money for a rainy day, we wouldn't be in the position we are today.
And now that we all have had sales tax pay for everything in this city, we are going to have to learn that for a little more from our property tax, we can keep our status quo. But you and others are so spoiled, you would still expect this economy to change and have our sales tax revenues keep us afloat rather than realize that the day of rekoning has arrived and we have to pay a little more than we did 25 years ago. How selfish! You have no idea how lucky we have been all this time compared to what other communities have been paying for the last 25 years. Much more than us; way, way more.
We are a point of sale city, and years ago in the 1970's we had so much money it was incredible. The audits showed it too. But we should have been smart enough to know that paying cash for everything just because we COULD isn't the best idea. We paid cash for a government center and then a community center. Horray; no bonded indebtedness. But look at us now. Yes, look where we are now. So I hope if we do get on our feet, we don't expect sales tax to do it all AGAIN.
The Mayor said at the meeting last night he thought the rebuilt mall would return us to those days of surplus tax. Is he wrong?
I remember the mayor said there could be additional cuts made before there was another tax increase. What happened? Where are those additional cuts?
Have not seen any cuts proposed or made. Can't even get the 2008 approved budget on the city web site. I don't believe the current administation has a grip on running the city.
How about an across the board pay cut for all employees? Why are government employees never the ones who face a pay decrease, which is what a tax increase is to the tax payer?
1:42 PM blogger: How about that? Well for one thing we will loose the "best and brightest" that we have to?
For another, why would we do that anyway? Your only seeing one tree, there are many more to explore before anything like pay cuts should even be considered.
Look at your tax bill, if a .26 cent per hundred of assessed value were enacted it is much less than you think (in my case $80.40 per year.) Face it friends we can blow that at the gas pump in one trip!
Let's see, gas pump = 360 miles driving. Tax increase = fire department, paramedics, police department, public works department, and a very nice City.
Seems like a no-brainer to me!
Tom Ford
9:04 Tom, you are wasting your breath telling some people that a new tax proposal to keep our City afloat is minimal. They don't care about the facts. They hear the tax word and their brain goes in overdrive.
We have never been "taxed to death" by Crestwood. It's all of the other tax entities that cause the tax word to be feared. Lindbergh School District as well as our State and Federal taxes which even tax social security and take part of our capital gains after we have sold our homes. Also, paying taxes on savings and 40lK's when you take it out. That's what should make you angry; not a tax that will cost us less than $100.
I'll tell you something else that should make you angry. The amount of money our government is spending on this war; plus the fact that when our people come home, the Veterans Administration does very little. All this money we give to other countries when the victims of Hurricane Katrina in our country still are far from being recovered.
Tom, you just can't get any information into a brain the size of a pea with some of these people.
And I think it is terrible that they can stoop so low as to even suggest that the city employees should get their paychecks cut. Who do you suppose is so stupid as to say something like that? And I am not a city employee.
7:07 PM blogger: Well I agree it is sort of like "casting pearls before swine," But like the Rev. Billy Graham once said, it's worth the effort if I can convert just one soul!
The great unwashed believe that Crestwood is the root of all their tax woe's, when in fact it really is the darn County and State that are bleeding us dry!
How hard is it to look at the year end tax bill and see the mere pittance given to Crestwood by Jessie James and the great county boy's?
By the way, when do we stop GIVING Wildwood over $900,000 PER YEAR OUT OF OUR COFFERS? That idiot idea was thought up by a democrat county executive (now deceased,) and a knuckle under Mayor (still around) right here in in Crestwood! If we get that stopped we are good to go with much less of an increase, if at all!
That idiotic, Marxist idea is one that must stop, and now, and I coulden't care less what Charlie Dooley thinks about it!
Tom Ford
5:41 That was "buzzy baby" Buz Westfall wasn't it. And I remember when it happened. I still can't believe it happened. I think turn about is fair play; since we are in trouble, they should give us at least some of the money we have given them.
Doesn't it sound like highway robbery what Buz got away with? I mean we have literally foot the bill to the point where, I can't believe he got away with dreaming it up in the first place.
4:12 PM blogger: Correct my friend, and if you can afford to live in Wildwood, you darn sure can afford to pay your own way!
Dennis Hancock, Mayor of Fenton is being robbed blind by this same socialist scheme, and he wants to go to war with the county over it!
OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR ROBINSON, AND THE BOA, hey guy's how about joining forces with Fenton to get this stopped! Times have change (and not for the better,) and Wildwood as well as Dooley must be made aware that "the free lunch" is over, not one more penny from us!!!
By the way, if you want to raise your blood pressure, check out Wildwoods finances over at county, this is nut's
Tom Ford
I thought I heard where Robinson and Meyers went up to Jefferson City to discuss the county sharing pool but didn't have much success.
Does anyone know if they went up to the state capitol?
I wish somebody could do something about it. I remember when Buzz Westfall ramroded that down our throats. It's a shame that we have a problem now with sales tax and the pool cities still get part of our monies. Makes me sick.
Yeah and the funny part about it was Buzz and the County ended up getting the most from the "windfall".
4:42 PM blogger: Yep! Imagine that!
Tom Ford
I believe that the "pool sharing of sales tax" was voted on. (i could be mistaken) If so...
" remember when Buzz Westfall ramroded that down our throats."
Does that mean that you didn't know what you were voting for?
10:43 I voted against it and the fact that it went through means that there were too many other communities that wanted it to go through. We were not the only point of sale city who had to fork out money. Many people from many cities were also involved. I certainly did know what was on the ballot. Think you got me mixed up with somebody who have been putting the screws too for too long.
None, according to the mayor. No more cuts in staff will be taken. Where are the additional cuts that he spoke about??? Don't get it. It seems like everything he has said in the past has been overturned.
For the most part, I think that there have been big cuts made from the budget. Whether or not you feel they are enough is your opinion.
Personally, I only see one more cut I would like to see executed.
If you were to add up more cuts that could be made employee-wise, I still say that you are not of the magnitude that will be able to keep us afloat down the road. I just don't think so.
The one I feel is ludicrous is the Kiosk. We do not need the Kiosk or anyone sitting in that chair all day. That is a waste. That was a Don Greer deal and we should have not wasted all that money building it in the first place, because the City Clerk's Office has always assisted everyone coming into city hall, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS without a problem. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
But Greer wanted it for show as if we were some high end city. That Kiosk is a lot of balony. That would be a good cost cut. It should be trimmed from the budget in my opinion.
But with other full-time people that could do their jobs part-time; is it really worth reducing these jobs? And will it bring in big bucks getting rid of them? No.
If you added up any additional employee cuts from the budget, the revenue reinstituted by these cuts, would not sustain us in the long run. These positions that could be cut to part-time or cut entirely would not generate enough new revenue to help our financial position.
Thanks.
Well Roy has had three years to undo the Kiosk, if he's so busy undoing the errors of the past, why hasn't he fixed that one?
9:43 You ask him! Maybe it has to do with the fact that it would probably take money to dismantle it including in house man hours. There is also quite a big of telephone equipment that would have to be dismantled which would probably be a waste of money and not reuseable.
read that poster 2:30, poster 10:43 has your answer for you.
Besides the logistics of the furniture and telephone (just leave them there), how much does the salary and benefits cost the city?????
12:57 I don't know how much it costs the city. But maybe that question should be answered by all those who feel that the Mayor hasn't made enough cuts. That is the only one I could think of that we could consider but even that isn't going to make our situation go away. However, I really don't think that making any more cuts is going to amount to enough to get us out of this hole.
We cannot come up with enough cuts to sustain what is occurring in Crestwood which is the economy and failing sales tax.
But again, if you listen to those who just have to keep blaming Roy for everything, and watching his every move, then they would be the ones who will argue about the purchase of a bar of soap or anything that he does.
Well you will have to admit that he came into office acting like he knew what he was going to do to rectify Crestwood's problems. Can't believe politics didn't play a part of his agenda......
I think the mayor did not follow the City's Charter when aldermen asked for a seond 2008 budget, with a projected lower sales tax income and failed to have staff provide it. Just can't see how all of the sudden things have changed. Sounds a little like politics to me.
3:04 PM May 15
You're right about one thing: this is nothing but politics, or at the very least, an overriding desire to please everyone, no matter what the eventual cost.
Every single alderman on the board (except the recently-appointed Ward 2 alderman) was advised of the dropping sales tax revenues quite a while ago, and acknowledged the looming financial crisis that lay ahead. To their credit, they each tried to do something, whether it was proposing a tax or asking for a "Plan B" budget that would have required closer examination of spending. It was the mayor himself who stood in the way of these efforts. I attended the board meetings where the mayor barely allowed the subject of these options to be broached. He consistently spoke of vetoing any measure that would have a negative impact on residents (taxes) or city staff (spending cuts). Obviously, pursuing either option would be politically risky, so he chose to avoid both.
Unfortunately, once he relented and agreed to a tax increase, the result of his procrastination was that the board had little time to give the proper attention needed to create a viable, financially sound solution. Had the mayor allowed the board to pursue both methods of addressing the revenue shortfall at the times they were proposed, the impact on city staff, services, and the residents would likely have been minimized.
It takes strong leadership to make unpopular decisions.
Martha Duchild
Martha, OUT STANDING!!! I hope you send your post as a letter to the newspapers, it needs to be read by all voters n Crestwood.
Are you forming a committee to oppose this tax increase? I hope so, because we are ready to join you, just say the word.
Well Martha, you have hit the nail on the head here. However, we are in deep (pick a name,) and the ship is taking on way too much water!
I am thinking of a couple of "cuts" we can make that will help, all be it not major, but still a help.
1. Cut the animal control officer (she is hardly ever there when needed anyway, and you would be amazed at her salary!)
2. Cull some of the entourage hired by Mr. Myers (excess accountants, and assistants) to a more manageable number, say two!
3.have some down time, say 15 minutes per hour, per police car where the car is shut off, and the officers are parked on a City side street. (you would be amazed at the savings there.)
Just a couple of thoughts.
Tom Ford
Tom, so red ink is now pouring out of the doors of City Hall?
Martha hit the nail on the head, Roy bullied the BOA (and they let him get away with it) into not talking about tax increases until he was sure no one would run against him.
That is not leadership. When Tom Fagan ran against Roy he was not afraid to be honest with the voters regardless of the cost to him by telling us the truth about the City's needs for TIF, bond issues and taxes. Now Roy says we need the, then he was all against their use. I look at it this way, we are now 4 years behind where we should be due to our lack of honest leadership. Look how much more money in intrest we have spent on Roy's Prop S "notes like a bonds" than we would have if Prop 1 had been supported by Roy and passed. The $6,000,000 reported in July 2007, came about due to the cuts and budgets made before the end of Roy's first term. He has made no cuts since being elected, and has raised taxes every year. This will be this Mayor's legacy.
Oh yes, I forgot, Roy got rid of Greer and Madrid but he replaced them with Meyers and the entourage he hired. See how much better off we are?
Anonymous said...
"Tom, so red ink is now pouring out of the doors of City Hall?"
Gee, I re-read my post and I didn't say that, but you have a few times here.
All I was (and am) saying is that if you want cuts, there are at least three right there for you to consider (unless your married to the dog catcher of course!)
Tom Ford
So the only thing in my post you disagree with is the red ink line, interesting.
6:38 AM blogger: No, I didn't say that either! I will agree with one word however "interesting!"
I find it interesting that you can read into my post what I haven't said, but not what I did say.
Tom Ford
I keep hearing about "cuts." Don't you think this whole conversation would be more credible if these cuts were identified. The ones already made plus suggestions of cuts that could take place. Martha's note, while a personal opinion, was without viable suggestions which would help the rest of us realize the possibilities. At no time did I see Fagan put the brakes on so putting him in a favorable money saving spot adds nothing to this conversation. Wishing Roy would have seen the light sooner also does not add to this conversation. 7 Alderman voted to put the increase on the ballot. The same 7 needed to burn the midnight oil on this starting with a viable budget and a demand for Myers to perform. Blame aside, how'sa'bout a list of all the cuts that have been made, every one, and then after that, what is left and where we go from there. All this chit chat and the rush to the tax all of a sudden leaves me in the same spot as before, muddled and confused and ready for some solid facts and valid suggestions. How can we vote without them? I am tired of threats of losing services and how low our taxes are compared to other cities. Lets get down to some facts that float and cut the crap.
The current administration does not have a grip on the city's financials. Haven't for quite a while. I will not be voting for any increase in taxes.
Current admistration does not have a solid grip on financials. One second, we have a crisis. the other second, we're flush - or jokingly as the head of eco development said Crestwood is back. Yeah right. Don't think current administration has had grip on financials for some time.
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