Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later
By Editor at June 14, 2024 | 8:00 am | Print
Now that the 2013-14 budget has passed what will it really mean for residents?
First off for most of us seem to only care about how this will affect our taxes. The administration claims there is no tax increase despite the mill rate going from 36 to 44 mills. So far most people are saying their home taxes are indeed rising about $600. It doesn’t appear the Mayor has been telling the complete truth here.
We believe some will rise and some will fall. Check with the tax office to find out now.
Our car taxes will definitely rise and business taxes will rise. The amount remains to be seen, but looks to be large.
But, that is not even the worst part of this budget.
Because many revenue projections will never be realized, money must come from somewhere to fill the holes. And it could be as much as $15 million that is unaccounted for right now.
If that is the case there are a couple options. More money could be taken from the water department fund which we must pay back some day. Our leaders seem to forget that fact as over $12 million was borrowed in the last 18 months alone.
There could be a mid or late year tax. This would be a one time mandatory fee for possibly all residents.
Or we could start selling off properties like the parking garages or the water department.
The City makes money through the parking garages and water department. Selling those types of properties, fixes a dike, but leaves more damage down the road as we lose potential income in the future.
All these bad scenarios will take place after the election. A plan that was in place all the time to keep votes for the Mayor.
Residents need to keep an eye on what the Mayor and Common Council are doing. That is why we let you know how people voted on page 1 of this paper.
There are a lot of other things in our lives that keep us busy, but residents cannot expect someone else to make sure our City is taken care of properly.
Many politicians only care about being elected and not the future of our City. It is up to citizens to keep them accountable.
Many say vote them out in November. It is a smart thing to do. But wouldn’t it have been wiser to speak up before the disasters took place. Less than 100 spoke during public audience on the budget.
How many of you will be outraged when asked 6 months from now for more money to keep the City afloat? Probably a lot more than 100 people.
This budget, although it could have been worse, is a disaster. It should never have been passed. And residents will pay one way or another.
