The "sales tax pool," How should taxes be split? (Please click here for the article in the St. Louis Beacon.)
As many of us are painfully aware taxes in the county and city are on the way up. What many do not seem to realize (or have never been apprised of) is that Crestwood is a "point of purchase" city. You see years ago some "do good" Mayors in the county met with the then county executive and caved into his demands that cities with large retail sales give to cities that do not "share" the same revenue.
Needless to say Crestwood was then enjoying the Plaza "where the big stores are," and our forward thinking Mayor and Board decided to "share the wealth" so to speak. That's how we ended up giving over $940,000.00 of OUR tax money yearly to places like Jennings and Wildwood! Yes Wildwood where you can't build a dog house for less than $100,000.00 by the looks of the homes out there.
Well times have changed for the worst here in Crestwood but we still send the poor downtrodden neighbors OUR tax revenue anyway. Mayor Dennis Hancock of Fenton has fought to change this but no one seems to be willing to back him, or even bring it up in polite company, so on it goes. Now is the time to revisit this, and get OUR tax monies back into Crestwood where they should have stayed all along.
Now for a pool of a different sort, namely the Crestwood aquatic center. In a rather stunning decision by the Board last Tuesday night we see that the non resident pool fees have been raised. Good? Well no it's a really bad idea as the non resident pool pass sales have out paced the resident ones for the past couple of years. Now we have placed ourselves in the unenviable position of having the highest non resident pool pass cost in the area!
Alderman Duchild tried in vain to point out the fallacy of this but the "tax and spend" crowd went with the idea anyway. So what you say? Well we now "enjoy" the highest cost for less than anyone else in the area, so how do we attract the non resident sales under those conditions?
Now I am not a Wharton Business School graduate by any stretch of anyone's imagination but if they are making really lame decisions on things like a pool pass, how can we ever trust them to complete a viable budget? This isn't exactly rocket science, if we need more money, attract it, don't run the customers away right? And while your at it get the "executive" salaries under control and STOP SPENDING for things we really do not need!
Tom Ford
NO. 963
Needless to say Crestwood was then enjoying the Plaza "where the big stores are," and our forward thinking Mayor and Board decided to "share the wealth" so to speak. That's how we ended up giving over $940,000.00 of OUR tax money yearly to places like Jennings and Wildwood! Yes Wildwood where you can't build a dog house for less than $100,000.00 by the looks of the homes out there.
Well times have changed for the worst here in Crestwood but we still send the poor downtrodden neighbors OUR tax revenue anyway. Mayor Dennis Hancock of Fenton has fought to change this but no one seems to be willing to back him, or even bring it up in polite company, so on it goes. Now is the time to revisit this, and get OUR tax monies back into Crestwood where they should have stayed all along.
Now for a pool of a different sort, namely the Crestwood aquatic center. In a rather stunning decision by the Board last Tuesday night we see that the non resident pool fees have been raised. Good? Well no it's a really bad idea as the non resident pool pass sales have out paced the resident ones for the past couple of years. Now we have placed ourselves in the unenviable position of having the highest non resident pool pass cost in the area!
Alderman Duchild tried in vain to point out the fallacy of this but the "tax and spend" crowd went with the idea anyway. So what you say? Well we now "enjoy" the highest cost for less than anyone else in the area, so how do we attract the non resident sales under those conditions?
Now I am not a Wharton Business School graduate by any stretch of anyone's imagination but if they are making really lame decisions on things like a pool pass, how can we ever trust them to complete a viable budget? This isn't exactly rocket science, if we need more money, attract it, don't run the customers away right? And while your at it get the "executive" salaries under control and STOP SPENDING for things we really do not need!
Tom Ford
NO. 963
posted by Crestwood Independent at 02:59
9 Comments:
Tom,
Not to nit pick, because I agree with much of what you have said, there are some minor history errors that need to be addressed in your post.
The late Mayor Pat Killoran(R)fought the sales tax pool concept being offered by then County Executive, the late Buzz Westfall(D). Ward One Alderman Jim Brasfield was able to get the Demcorats in power at that time in Jefferson City and St. Louis County to accept what was a "watered" down version of what was originally planned. That plan, (now called the Westfall Compromise) is what we have in place now.
Webster Groves was the first place developers wanted to locate what we knew as Crestwood Mall. Webster rejected the developer, not wanting to "spoil" the specialness of their fair city. Crestwood was approached next and was warmly greeted. Remember, this was before TIF, etc.
I am writing this not as a defense of the BOA at time of the compromise (I was a member of that BOA) but to make sure readers understand that these changes came about AFTER the Democrat's took control of St. Louis County, and had control of the State government! It was the first real life example of wealth redistribution many of us ever experienced. Crestwood along with all cities in St. Louis County had/have no power to stop this action.
None of the above caused the decline of the MALL, that would be an interesting subject for another post.
It is my opinion, that until Republicans control St. Louis County government and hold control in Jefferson City will any of this change or return to pre Westfall Compromise status. The courts are the best way to change this law. I support Crestwood joining Fenton's action in the courts, even if it's way too late for us recover the lost sales tax dollars from our past.
However, and there is always a however, when the full extent of the impact of the Westfall Compromise was felt on our city's budget, and when the Mall's decline was fully evident (about 7 years ago) Crestwood should have moved heaven and earth to change it's status as a point of sales city! I know in private conversions, in the Way's and Means committee meetings (of which I was a member for 1 year under Mayor Robinson) and in public meetings of the BOA, I broached this change several times, with no positive response from the City Attorney, Mayor, or City Administrator.
Crestwood needs to join Fenton in this legal action now! St.Louis County government must be changed at the nest election!
Thanks for the history, Tim. When attempting to develop an informed opinion on any issue, being aware of its historical context is of great value.
I'd like to give credit where it's due. When Alderman Duchild made the motion to keep the non-resident aquatic center pass fees at their current levels (rather than increasing them), Aldermen Beezely and Foote supported him. Unfortunately, other members of the BOA didn't think that raising prices on the passes would negatively affect membership.
Martha Duchild
12:17 PM Blogger: Tim, thanks for filling in the names for me. I agree none of the actions the Board took caused the demise of anything.
Still, it was an idea born out of what Dame Margret Thatcher said. " The only problem with liberals is that sooner or later they run out of other peoples money."
You have been a voice in the wilderness on several projects in the past (such as the C.U.P. for the swim club) and I thank you for it. If you had not been there things would have been much worse, and we all know it!
Thank you for your service to Crestwood, and may success follow your flag in the future!
Tom Ford
here's some much needed good news- a nice plug for our little city:
http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/deb-peterson/magazine-says-suburban-crestwood-is-the-best-place-to-raise/article_cb937e9e-19f5-11e1-9fb7-001a4bcf6878.html
2:13 PM Blogger: Kerra, that is some good news for a change. Is it OK for me to make it a "main thread" as sent in by you?
Tom Ford
If you can link to stl today without their permission. I just saw it in the web paper and thought it might lift everyone's spirits.
Tim, you bring a lot of history to the table - regarding the big issues such as the sales tax pool. I second what you bring forth because I was there and was in charge of doing the minutes. I heard, first hand, what was stated and who stated it.
Also, I remember when a new community center was being discussed. The city at that time had "a ton of sales tax money" and Crestwood was thriving big time.
Mayor Vitalis wanted to float a bond issue and meetings were held with the community involved. People called him "crazy" but let me tell you - Joe Vitalis was a smart man. No, he didn't do everything right, but we should have listened to him. Had we done the bond issue, we would have, as Tim stated, retired the bonds several years ago. We could have kept all our money for a rainy day and for things that the City needed. Instead, it ended up being a "pay as you go" process "piece by piece", "stone by stone".
At every board meeting, the aldermen would approve the purchase of every single shingle, brick, mortar, ballfield lighting, as well as a stack of other related expenditures. If you want specifics, check the minutes - it reads like a 2000 page novel.
Sure, we had no bonded indebtedness but all that money in the bank was "gone". Had we gone with a bond issue, we would have even had a skating rink which we could have made money with especially renting the rink out to groups and organizations like hockey clubs and skating clubs. This time of the year, it is a hassel to find skating rinks - I know because my grandson plays hockey and his team has a problem finding places to practice.
Anyhow, Tim is right on the money with his remarks and it just makes me sick to think of it plus the power of people like Buzz Westfall, whose arrogance and power casted a "spell" over Jefferson City and the County.
Just wanted to recant what Tim said and that was the way it was! Thanks.
2:25 PM Blogger: Sandy, I remember the J. V. administration as well. He did indeed have some good ideas but some on the Board thought they were a bit smarter, sad.
Remember one simple equation in the "Buzz" Westfall saga. He was a life long Democrat who was the epitome of "tax and spend." He also was the Democrat parties (who ran jefferson City) third rate ward healer for St. Louis County. Which was why, as Tim stated the idiot idea went through.
I guess you could say this was our first look at just what socialism was all about. Obviously it didn't work (unless your from Jennings or Wildwood.)
Tom Ford
That's for sure Tom. OMG how some people hated Joe Vitalis. But Buzzy "baby" was like a silver-tongue devil right at the very top of the tree.
When Mayor Killoren told me what Buzz was up to, I could not believe that he even had a chance to get that legislation through. It was so unfair and surely, I felt, that the majority of those in high places could see that! Boy, you could have knocked me over with a feather when it came to fruition. That, Tom took a lot of nerve. After that happened, I knew I could never be surprised at anything again. After that, I realized exactly what abuse of power was all about. He acted like it was for those less fortunate communities than Crestwood - when, in fact, the County was the one who got the "windfall". Makes me sick to this day.
I was very glad to hear, however, on Channel 5 that according to "Bloomberg" Crestwood is one of the safest places to raise children. And it factored in more than just being in the Lindbergh School District. Plus it was on television again today. That made me feel really good and I still feel that if everybody would just work together, we can maintain this high standard.
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