From the South County Times, "Low tax revenue prompts funds transfer." (click here for the story.)
Well, well the folks at City hall have finally realized what we the tax payers have known all along, were out of money! Amazing that the "fund transfer" to the tune of $150,000.00 has been approved at all considering the fact that were still "top heavy" with personnel.
Mr. Eckrich is short one parks and recreation director as our last one turned in her resignation, and we still have the always famous "animal control" officer (a duplication of services) at $50,000.00 per year that should be eliminated, so why the need for a "transfer" in the first place?
Well I will tell you why, Mr. Eckrich has no intention of ever leaving a position unfilled, why should he when all he needs to do is continue to move funds around? Alas, what do we do when there are no more funds to shuffle?
In case you don't know it on Tuesday night the Board will (no doubt) approve the new residential tax rate for 2011, and guess what kiddies, it's going up! Now I have no problem with that for "essential services," but hobby clubs and amenities that are not a complete necessity should be dropped first!
Your thoughts please.
Tom Ford
NO. 810
Mr. Eckrich is short one parks and recreation director as our last one turned in her resignation, and we still have the always famous "animal control" officer (a duplication of services) at $50,000.00 per year that should be eliminated, so why the need for a "transfer" in the first place?
Well I will tell you why, Mr. Eckrich has no intention of ever leaving a position unfilled, why should he when all he needs to do is continue to move funds around? Alas, what do we do when there are no more funds to shuffle?
In case you don't know it on Tuesday night the Board will (no doubt) approve the new residential tax rate for 2011, and guess what kiddies, it's going up! Now I have no problem with that for "essential services," but hobby clubs and amenities that are not a complete necessity should be dropped first!
Your thoughts please.
Tom Ford
NO. 810
posted by Crestwood Independent at 11:04
17 Comments:
I guess my thought here would be that maybe not everyone agrees with your assessment of "essential services". Maybe not everyone agrees with your assessmnts at all.
11:52 AM Blogger: Well welcome to Blogging my friend! You don't need to agree, no one does, I just post my thoughts and you try to refute, simple.
Now, just what do you think is a necessity and what is an amenity? Please give us your ideas as you see them so we may have a bit of a go at the problem
Tom Ford
The problem is spending more than revenue can support. Once we have completed our debt payment for the city pool and tennis courts, developed a savings plan, and have a clear vision agreed to by the citizens of Crestwood then discussions of increasing the funding can begin.
I would certainly hate to count the amount of dollars that where wasted 10 to 15 years ago when we had twice the revenue. The last few years have clearly demonstrated how wasteful and poorly managed this city was. Although improvements have been observed for the last three years I am not confident the lessons have been learned.
The promise to end a tax when the debt was paid did not occur. Instead we build a bridge to no where, pay twice for animal control, have city employees holding two jobs in the city, a top heavy administration, no economic development, no vision for what the city wants to look like in 10-15 years, CDD tax charity to a bankrupt business (Sappington Square now owned by Pulasky Bank), highest sales tax in the surrounding area, excessive business taxation, etc. etc.
5:01 PM Blogger: Thank you for the enlightened response. Truer words were never spoken my friend!
Now let's see what the loyal opposition has to say about that.
Tom Ford
Anonymous 5:01pm,
I agree with all your comments!
It seems like the BOA, Mayor, and City Administrator have completely lost touch with reality. What with the promises made, but not kept, seeming lack of common sense, and loss of touch with "the people", not to mention the "fast shuffle" with the money, one wonders what they will do next.
Do they really think that the CITIZENS OF CRESTWOOD are all rolling in dough, just waiting to be tapped for more? Au contraire. Most have cut all non-essentials from their budget just to survive! The City MUST do the same!
If we are going to talk taxes
2009 personal property
Lindbergh sch. 311.59
stl comm coll 20.31
spec sch dist 89.24
county health fun 14.27
cou park main 4.76
cou bond retire 2.66
cou road&bridge 9.99
sheltered workshop 8.56
cou general 18.56
st. of mo 2.85
met zoo mus dist 23.71
county library 14.27
city-crestwood 45.55
utilities total 145.24
not including any sales tax I contributed $190.79 last year to have police, fire, public works, parks & rec, etc. I think we get a lot of bang for our buck. As for the call for certain eliminations, its easy to sit back and say we don't need things when the don't effect or impact us directly. I would imaging that most including myself haven't been to all our parks. Since I don't use them should we stop maintaining them or sell the land. I say the more things we eliminate we jeopardize losing our identity. We halve all but lost our mall and need to hold on to what we have left. Eventually, all we will have left will be a strong school district. Which can be attended by Sunset Hills, Fenton, and parts of St. Louis County residents. What do we have to offer to keep our communities solid and safe? Or do we want to become like Meacham Park?
"not including any sales tax I contributed $190.79 last year to have police, fire, public works, parks & rec, etc. I think we get a lot of bang for our buck."
Taking that statement exactly as quoted, I would agree with you. BUT...that is not the real picture. You were also forced to pay $520.77 in other taxes (mostly county).
Also, our parks, and recreation, and pool claim to be at least partially self supporting from various fees, and other charges.
Our Police, Fire, And Public Works, are vital things we can not do without. I have, over the years, had to use their services, and am very happy with them all.
Parks are a good thing, and we have used ours on several occasions.
I do object to duplicating services that we also pay the County for providing.
I also don't like some of the sneaky ways taxes and fees are handled. For example: the City charges the utilities taxes, and fees, which they then charge back to us. Many of the charges, fees, taxes, and such, I have no clue what they relate to, or what sets the amount.
And I almost forgot...our sales tax is one of the highest...are we supposed to shop elsewhere?
The City, the schools, the County, the State, Metro, and who knows what else, all want to increase taxes to be paid by us! WHEN DO WE GET AN INCREASE IN INCOME? Many of us have not had one for years, and many are out of work. What now?
9:37 PM Blogger: We do need all the essential services (Police, Fire, Public works,) and yes we do get a lot for our money.
What I am looking at are the AMENITIES that we have come to believe are part of our "rights" in Crestwood, IE the animal control, the parks and recreation, and "extra people at City hall."
When times are good, and we can afford them these things are wonderful indeed. Times are not good however, and we have got to stop thinking with emotion and do what needed to stay solvent.
Crestwood really is a business that like all businesses must show an R.O.I or fail. In my opinion I would not hire another Director for Parks and recreation, but rather simply oversee the Department under Mr. Eckrich. The Animal Control Division is a complete duplication of services that must go until we can once again afford it.
My Company is cut to the bare bones now with but seven people to man the office,do the selling, ordering, shipping, paperwork and service. Do we like it? Heck no, but it's necessary to survive, so we had to do it. Crestwood must make the same decisions and soon if Crestwood as we know it is to survive this next year!
These are not easy decisions, I know that better than most, but they are sound business decisions minus the emotion some seem to feel trumps all else.
Tom Ford
to 9:37 blogger.
I think you referred to property tax not personal property tax when demonstrating the amount contributed. While I understand and do not take exception to the citizen contribution you have forgotten the promises (resolutions) concerning prop S, the excessive property tax rates for business, charity tax relief(CDD, TDD etc.) for business, top heavy administration costs, money spent on projects that lend no value (bridge to no where for $550k). The government of Crestwood is in the business of spending money instead they should be managing it.
Until the administration learns to manage the money I will not vote for a tax increase.
The problem is not revenue it is spending.
Wait a second, didn't the BOA just vote to clean up the books of all past inter dept.lending/borrowing?
Wasn't that done because it was too difficult to figure out which fund owned how much to what fund? After the clean up of the mess left by the evil administrations before this one, are we creating the same problem all over again? I thought this Mayor was too smart to make that mistake.
But I do feel privileged to see with my own eyes the creation of the second Crestwood Shell Game!
Step right up folks, my hands never leave my arms, guess which shell has the pea under it and you win a big prize.
Wait one more addition Tim. The justification for continuation of PROP S. Remember this shell game.
THE ADMINISTRATION TELLS THE TAXPAYERS THEY OWE THE GENERAL FUND MONEY BECAUSE THE
BANK LOAN WAS PAYED OFF EARLY WITH SOME GENERAL FUND MONEY. THEREFORE WE WILL CONTINUE COLLECTION OF PROP S REVENUE.
I THINK THE GENERAL FUND MONEY IS TAX PAYER MONEY!!!! FUNNY WE HAVE TO PAY OURSELVES. ONE OF THE BETTER SHELL GAMES AND DEFINITE INDICATION THE ADMINISTRATION CANNOT BE TRUSTED.
Yeah, the city is taking your $200.00 and miss using it. Don't worry "Tim said" yours was used for gas in police cars for probably less than a week. Tom, your $200.00 went to utilities for the "animal control division" aka one person. As for the rest of "anonymous" yours didn't even cover the cost to plow your streets.
to 5:32 poster.
You miss the points Tim and anonymous are attempting to state.
!.) accountability
2.) accountability
OH!!!!!!!!!
TRUST
"I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them."
Thomas Jefferson
5:32 AM Blogger: Well that's cute but what solution do you have to stop the spending?
"Liberals, it's not that they're ignorant, it's just that they know so much that isn't so."
Ronald Wilson Reagan
Tom Ford
I think everyone should ask for their $200.00 to be earmarked for certain things. That way you know what your tax dollars are going for. You can specifically pay for say a couple of bullets for a few officers, or maybe one fire boot for a firefighter. Maybe a few cases of toilet paper for the community center. Or whatever you feel is important to you. That way we will never be able to complain how our tax dollars are being spent. I'm sure there will be something else to complain about.
9:14 PM Blogger: The fact is that the $200.00 figure could be .50 cents and if it's wasted it's wrong.
That aside I am curious as to why you don't seem to care where your tax dollars are going. Is it because you have so much money that it doesn't bother you, or could it be that apathy has set in?
I firmly believe that it is not only the right, but the sacred duty of every Citizen to watch where our money goes, and for what.
Unfortunately in the past we fell a bit short on that and just look what happened. Prop "S" was extended, were going to build a bridge to put out canopy fires (I haven't seen one in 41 years here,) and we are supporting dual functions.
Complain? Or is is it just a group of Americans doing their job's watching Government at all levels? I happen to think it's the latter, and I will continue to call it out as often as I see it.
Tom Ford
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