Mayors Town Hall Meeting April 30, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Ladies and Gentleman, the next Town Hall Meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 7:00 Pm at the Community Center!
I will be providing more information as it becomes available.
Tom Ford
NO. 491
I will be providing more information as it becomes available.
Tom Ford
NO. 491
posted by Crestwood Independent at 17:47
30 Comments:
Way to read the "paper" there Tom.
So Tom, have ya started begging your buddy Roy to be appointed to the Board??? Come on, save us all!
Seems to me to be a waste of time. The developers are no where close to deciding what the plans for the mall will be. Without a TIF, the other financing tools will not be enough to get the project off the ground for quite a while. By that time we should be part of the county!
8:231 PM blogger: close, but wrong as usual! It came from the "Crestwood Connections."
10:11 AM blogger: No, I don't want the position, but I hear a couple have, sorry they won't make it!
10:47 AM blogger: Why wait, you can be a part of the county now! Pick a trash district and move!
Sorry but I have no time for those that constantly tell us what we can't do.
Tom Ford
Tom,
I agree. After hearing what south county residents are going through with these trash districts, I am so happy to live in Crestwood.
Waste of time is correct. Crestwood has reached is again at Risk.
Revenue performance is down 12% over last year.
What happened to the final of the series of presentations from the BOA which was supposed to about revenue performance?
What happened giving the opportunity to approve or not approve a tax increase?
The BOA needs to understand what the voters want before beginning preparation of the 2009 budget.
Will citizens give BOA enough funds to maintain the status quo or will the BOA be forced into further cuts?
"Revenue is down 12% over last year"?
Let's look at spending. Is it up or down from last year? What was the rate of spending last year compared to previous years?
Spending was cut 6% in anticipation of falling revenues.
Any further cuts would force staff layoffs and further cuts in the already dismal maintenance of our parks, streets etc.
Is this the direction we want to take?
This not a question of right or wrong. It is a decision the citizens of Crestwood should be allowed to make in the form of yes or no to a temporary increase in taxes.
Something is wrong with a Mayor and BOA who can't understand the situation and take some positive action.
"Any further cuts would force staff layoffs and further cuts in the already dismal maintenance of our parks, streets etc."
Not necessarily. It depends what is cut.
Regarding tax increases, often these "temporary" increases become permanent.
Without a TIF, the other financing tools will not be enough to get the project off the ground for quite a while....
Actually, the TIF Lawsuit should be finished by July or August... The Attorney Gerneral's Office agrees it is a bad piece of legeslation.
No to any property tax increase even if it's "temporary"!
I support the Mayor who said last fall we didn't need another increase, that there were other cuts to be made.
Since no one ran against the Mayor, any fool can tell this must still be the truth. No to any more Crestwood tax increases.
Don't be surprised as the mayor begins the campaign to increase taxes at the Town Hall Meeting.
Taxes with a sunset provision are a powerful tool the citizens have to control spending by the local government and hold them accountable to use the money as promised. The only time taxes with a sunset provision become permanent is after another vote of the people.
The only tax increase I would consider is one with a sunset provision set to expire in 2013. After 2013 the major debt burdens which have caused the problems will be paid off. With sunset provisions in place the BOA and mayor at the time will be forced to examine the revenue requirements and adjust accordingly. Again, the sunset provisions help the citizens retain a significant influence on the direction of the local government spending.
I would be very surprised and disapointed if the Mayor supported a tax increase after the what he said at meetings.
I feel we have other cuts that can be made and assets that can be sold before we ask the citizens to increase their burden.
I havent seen any numbers from from City Hall to indicate they even know how much of an increase is needed, sunset or no sunset.
Is it true that the avg complete cost to the taxpayer for a Crestwood Firefighter is $99.000 a year? What is the avg cost of that number is not true? I know what the avg income is for a citizen of Crestwood, but can we even tell how much we are paying our employees?
These are just some of the questions that need to be answered before I will vote for another tax increase.
"Let's look at spending. Is it up or down from last year?"
Even if the spending is lower - it would have to be down by the amount of revenue decrease of 12% just to be even.
I don't believe any amount of cuts can be made to be able to "float" until the magic year of 2012. The tax increases that have been made in the passt 3 years don't even scratch the surface. Those were a bandaid.
Anyone see the 1QTR financial report? How about the 2008 approved budget???
How about the City selling something that would bring in enough money to hold us fast until the Mall got going again? Why is it they always need more of our money, and yet they can never be the ones who take a cut? Why don't the employees take a cut in pay, just like you are asking us senior citizens to do with less by increasing our taxes?
4:25 PM blogger: "Death and taxes," I am sure we all remember that quote, but as you know, they are inevitable!
I too am a "seasoned citizen," and I will look at the varmint the same as all of us do, we don't want to pay it!
That said however, all of us above the age of 65 may very well need those paramedics some day. I for one want to see someone who knows their stuff, and is VERY close nearby!
I have been in situations where we had to continue CPR for over 8 minutes waiting for the fire district ambulance, and paramedics to arrive because they were on another call.
That is something I have never worried about in Crestwood, nor do I ever wish to. I guess you had to be there to understand.
I am in a neighborhood that has several people older than me, and I have seen the response time and the care given to them by our fire department, and I will tell you it's first class!
Do I want a tax increase? Heck no I don't, but I know it's going to come as sure as night and day. Just be thankful that your not in the County where Dooley can pry your cash loose whenever he wants to minus any vote at all (remember the property tax increases?)
Nuff said!
Tom Ford
If the cost of living is so cheap here and all over 65 need our level of paramedics then why haven't all we be mobbed by senior citizens moving here to get in on our good deal? Instead, our population drops ever year.
I think that is just a scare tactic your using on us seniors to get over on us the fact we have to have less money in our pockets but do I see the firemen, police or any other employee at City hall taking a cut? NO, they never can because they think we are stupid and will pay anything they ask us to.
It wont come if we don't vote for it!!
6:10 PM blogger: Do you really think I would use a "scare tactic" on you, or anyone else?
It is what it is, and you and I both know it!
Tom Ford
Yes I do think that. You wouldn't be the 1st and you wont be the last to do so. Remember last Sept. 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 dpt 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?
Post 7:01 PM, April 28, 2008 - I agree with you. I think that running the city is way over the current administration's capabilities.
"After 2013 the major debt burdens which have caused the problems will be paid off."
What are the major debt burdens? The only debt the City now has is for the Aquatic Center - paid for with the Park Sales Tax - and the debt racked up by Greer on the LOC and through hocking our City Hall and PW Garage paid for with sunset property tax.
"1:19 PM, April 29, 2008"
I guess ignorance is bliss....
Please remember we had a $1 million payment for the aqua center debt, a lease payment for the fleet of police cars, a payment for the new communication systems. This accounts for signnificant reduction in the $6 million in cash we had. For now we have about $3.2 million in cash.
The first quarter report is published but is based on an accrual method rather than a cash basis as the previous reports have been. Questions of the mayor and accountants are being asked as to why the midstream change which is not acceptable.
The 2007 audit is not completed to the auditors satisfaction because some errors have been found in Crestwood accounting procedures. Don't know the impact yet.
Perhaps these questions should be asked of the mayor and his staff tommorrow. Good luck at obtaining an answer.
As to further cuts I believe we have open positions in police dept that should not be filled but eliminated as no harm to service would occur. We could reduce/eliminate the detective department to save further costs.
Administration department requires a time study of work required to understand the flow of work and how to make it more efficient. I believe after the work required is understood, job descriptions developed, and changes made we could find some further savings in the administration.
Those two areas have been largely untouched in previous cuts.
10:01 PM Your comment sounds like the best so far regarding clarity and being concise. Most other comments with one or two exceptions are all about who to blame for what! Or let's make this mayor eat his words because now things have changed.
I SAY to that person, "you should have been watching the previous administration like you are watching this one. Damage was done long before this mayor said anything. Long ago when the real money mongers screwed everything up. You think it's a walk in the park to fix up all that mess???? You should have paid attention to the facts and figures then like you feel you need to do now. Those who were previously in charge, didn't tell us lies, they just didn't to tell us the truth.
How many town hall meetings did we have 5 and 6 years ago when Mr. Greer and his brilliant Finance Person were in charge? Oh I see, you though the money Greer sucked out of the city while the rest of the gang allowed him to do it wouldn't have any IMPACT on what we are dealing with now. Nobody bothered checking up on what Greer and company said and did. But now you feel the need!!
We really don't have time for all this foolishness anyway. Those of you who are now shoving words spoken by the mayor down his throat just don't get it. You had no trouble giving the previous caretakers credence. And you think that someone can just walk in and have all the correct answers and if they slip up, you are right there to scream about it. You seem so smart, why don't you in three years try it out and see if you can do better because I can tell you something will need to be done before then.
If you think that all the mistakes that have occurred only started three years ago when Roy got elected, you are merely playing politics. He wasn't your choice anyway, was he? Otherwise there would have been no moaning and groaning by you and others. It's the same manure; different day.
If I didn't hear it once I haven't heard it a thousand times on this blog about "the mayor said we had **** money in Sept. blah,blah, and we don't". Well shame on him; I think he should be lynched in public for that, don't you.
I guess ignorance is bliss....
Again, I ask what other debt does the City have?
While I was not in attendance I understand the Mayor's town hall meeting was very well received!
From what I hear the attendees heard the Crestwood Courts plans, and the Mayor's message on the Crestwood finance's (with the finance director.)
Again, from the admittedly second hand information I received, it sounds like we are on the right track!
Tom Ford
red ink poring from the doors of city hall and you think we are on the right track? what are you smoking?
What makes you so sure there is red ink pouring from the doors of city hall? The reporting of the financial status of Crestwood has not been clear for quite some time.
3:10 Why even respond to stupidity. It's just another person with too much time on their hands that feels like they are somebody when they are a nobody. Consider the source or should I say sources. They are all over this blog. Ignore them like you would spoiled children.
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