RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
At a public hearing last night, City Council discussed several ideas for combating the city’s budget deficit this year. Most ideas revolved around budget cuts and the increase of fees and taxes. The idea of a .25% income tax increase was specifically mentioned several times.
Council is still seeking public input and creative ways to solve these financial issues. Does anyone have any ideas to throw around here?
“I am advocating for businesses to invest with more human capital as well as money”
Do you get why tax revenues are down in the first place? Do you understand who a bad economy hits first and hardest?
James : ” I am advocating for businesses to invest with more human capital as well as money. … We have the resources to do that, I just don’t know if the business community is willing to try it. ”
I can tell you from first hand experience that within CPS, there are varying degrees of receptiveness to this. Varying as in down to zero. When you have to hammer at a school to do their least little part, the business party is just going to give up.
I realize Council doesn’t control CPS and really can’t be held responsible, but the blame doesn’t lie with the business community. There has to be a culture within CPS that helps create these relationships and fosters them.
Our current school is far better.
A.
jawjack, I’m willing to listen to your arguments but please provide facts not just gut feelings.
Example:
“I guess privatizing the trash in UA probably helped them. I don’t think we would be able to do it for $30/year. It would probably be more than that.”
This says to me that you have already made your mind up on something that you havent’ researched and being that you work for the City I would expect the numbers to be coming from your posts.
Also, do you have a link to show what Tavares has done so far for Government reform? I find this topic interesting and am willing to give her a second chance.
Also, there is no way you can ask more from businesses right now. If anything there needs to be more tax breaks, and even start up grants for new downtown businesses.
The idea that while businesses across the nation, from the largest to the smallest, are suffering from the economy…hell, even Microsoft is laying people off now…that those businesses need to send the members of their now reduced staff at frozen wages to work in the public schools for some of their hours, and that some day down the road like 30 years from now, it’s to their benefit…is awful.
That is probably the worst idea that I’ve heard in a very long time.
That’s called ideology over reality. I think it’s a great concept, don’t get me wrong. The private sector playing a larger role in education is fantastic. Asking struggling or even failing businesses to commit their resources to 8 year olds in order to curb the economic downfall, however, is about like telling New Orleans to start a 20 year construction project on the levies the day after Katrina.
Wow. Where do I start? First, I absolutely love the discussion about the combining of government services. In a large, urban county like ours, we have many overlapping services that can be better serving to our citizens if not duplicated. This would mean less government, but then again…I like that. Using Indianapolis as an example is something for everyone to chew on.
Next, the issue of schools. As an educator it would be great to get businesses and local organizations involved in schools and there is some of that going on. However, with the economy like it is, it is hard to convince businesses to do more than they do now. Second, it is true that the home and the community have much greater impact on education than government money. The problems in our schools arise almost exclusively from the problems in our homes and communities. The CCS are a huge aspect for growth in this city – it affects neighborhood development, crime, future business opportunities, etc. But, it is true that effects would not be seen for a while.
A tax increase is the worst idea right now. People having less money in their pockets, means less money spent in the local economy, which can lead to more job loses, etc. A leaner government, a government doing less would be ideal. Empowering civic, social, and religious organizations to do some of the functions of the government can allow for less spending and better efficiency. These groups also know the “lay of the land” better than the government.
Walker Says:
I’m all for it, but I agree that it could be problematic for those on fixed incomes who are ALSO homeowners, as I assume it would most likely be fees built into property taxes. I imagine a lot of rentals would pass on some of the cost as well, but yeah… I really don’t know if it would be too fair to somehow subsidize trash collection for those under certain income levels. Unless it were in the form of an annual tax credit from the city?
Why would it have to be built into property taxes? Build it into the quarterly sewer/water bill. Then everyone, including renters, pays. Homeowners are already subsidzing everyone who throws things away in Columbus. People who waste less should pay less. Also, most people are on a “fixed income.” The poor are just as responsible for keeping the city clean and reducing their waste as the rich. If recycling were free and universal, then everyone would have the incentive to divert as much recyclable waste out of landfills as possible, which would save the city fees there as well. Playing this off as a rich vs. poor issue is irresponsible.
joev – I think you make a great point about the fees being included with the sewer/water bill. That makes sense and is simple. But, when we are talking about government, the word “simple” is a bad word.
And you are right about who should shoulder the burden – and that it is everyone. In this new age and era of social sacrifice, it would seem advantageous that everyone do their part. That would include paying for your trash removal (if it got to that point). I don’t think it is a bad idea for also creating a tax credit for the trash removal with regards to persons within a certain tax bracket.
The Ohio Commission on Local Government Reform and Collaboration, which Tavares was appointed as one of three of Strickland’s appointments, along with three members from Husted and three members from Harris came from this:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/analysis.cfm?ID=127_HB_521&ACT=As%20Introduced&hf=analyses127/h0521-i-127.htm
I’m not sure if it has met yet. Here are some links:
http://www.ag.ohio-state.edu/~news/story.php?id=4948
http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/07/GovtCombine.ART_ART_04-07-08_B1_QI9RQ2E.html?sid=101
http://www.columbusmessenger.com/NC/0/5072.html
Getting this: Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!
I think what I like about a trash tax is its really up to you how much you pay. There are already free recycling drop offs around the city (I take my stuff to BD Kroger) and like I said before, in a house with 2 guys, after recycling, we only took 1 normal size garbage can out once a month. This also shows why there cant be a flat rate. People will need an incentive to recycle.
This also goes with Mayor Coleman’s plan of becoming a ‘Green’ city and I know there are tech companies out there completely devoted to turning reusable material into energy/new products. This could also play along with Columbus being an up and coming tech city.
I usually like to look for the biggest piece of the pie and try to fix that first. It looks like public safety is 72% of the budget. Is there anything that can be done to make it more efficient? It looks like overtime is a problem. Maybe they actually need more officers to cut costs?
I really like the government consolidation ideas. Maybe that could help with public safety budgets too? I know Cleveland has been talking about regionalism and a few suburbs there have combined fire departments:
http://www.cleveland.com/region/
From the regional point of view, how much money is given away through corporate tax incentives to get companies to move jobs from the city to a suburb and vice versa. What if everyone stopped poaching businesses and shared the tax revenue?
Bottled water is a dominating yet unnecessary and unsustainable industry, at least here in America, where we have the luxury of one of the safest and cleanest public water systems. It’s extremely wasteful of plastic and the oil to produce and distribute it, and nearly 90% of water bottles are not being recycled. In backlash, the mayor of Seattle signed an executive order in 2007 to stop the city office from stocking up on bottled water. Given that in the year prior, $58,000 went into providing the office with bottled, they have since saved that much. It is a start, and we should follow suit. The bottled water phenomenon also gives the negative impression that America’s public water supply is somehow inferior to it. While the industry is thriving, cities’ water system revenue declines. Chicago has taken to taxing 10 cents on each bottle of water purchased. They make it clear that it is a tax on plastic, not on water, and expect that it will bring the city about $21 million a year. Something else to add to the ‘Green’ city plan, while offsetting the municipal water revenue.
MY wife and I started pulling out all our recyclables and regularly take them to a school SWACO dumpster (Oakland Park Elementary). We only have to put the trash can out once, maybe twice a month. It’s great.
Aside from the occasional whiff and taste of chlorine, Columbus water is great.
I wonder how much would be saved by simple things like bottled water reduction? Recycling paper as scrap for office messages and memos? Reduce city owned vehicle usage?
How about city employees riding the COTA bus to get to places (when reasonable and available). That would cut down on city-owned vehicle usage.
Wirtz: Thought this was interesting, from the public safety section:
Police & Fire Fleet Charges: $15.6 million
Police & Fire Uniform & Clothing Allowance: $4.7 million
Police Towing Contract: $1.95 million
There’s also an average of 10 auto accidents per month where the police department is at fault…that seems a bit high to me as well, and surely costly.
The other number that seemed high was the 238.00 per resident spent on fire division services.
Now, I’m not going to pretend to know if these really [i]are[/i] high, in comparison to other cities…but they do seem high at first glance.
A trash fee added to property tax bills is a great idea, if you don’t pay your taxes you lose your house…simple….the fee could be based on # of units or on home value to help subsidize low income folks. Maybe go to a every 2 week collection cycle and make recycling free.
Also the budget priorities need to be changed 25-30% of the general fund goes towards capital improvements and servicing the debt, that % should be reduced to 10-15%. Bonds are usually for capital projects I’m not sure if operating bonds makes sense. I am constantly amazed at how much money is wasted on frivilious capital projects…anyone seen the traffic calming islands in North Linden. We have wheel chair ramps in areas with no sidewalks and worse in some areas the ramps lead to drainage ditches.
How does working with CCS help the budget for the City?
Too many consultants are hired to do silly studies 300 thousand for street cars???300 K to study again the Summit N. 4th traffic issue. Seems a lot of the budget is wasted subsidizing design firms and consultants.
Maybe we should start living within our means and quit buying things (new capital projects) that take up 1/3 of the general fund $’s.
Speaking of which fish, there were some pretty big items in the Safety section as well:
· Complete renovation of 2077 Parkwood and move Precinct #2 to this location.
· Complete renovation of 333 West Town for Precinct #16 by adding fencing and
security cameras.
· Complete construction of the new heliport.
· Begin construction of the new city impound lot.
· Begin renovations to the Police firing range.
· Complete renovations and move the strategic response bureau to a new location
on Morse Road.
· Complete roof, HVAC, and plumbing renovations to Woodrow Avenue for the
eventual relocation of the Police Property Room.
· Complete renovation of 743 W. 3rd Avenue and move Precinct #1 to this location.
· Continue various renovations at fire stations.
Joev said: Why would it have to be built into property taxes? Build it into the quarterly sewer/water bill. Then everyone, including renters, pays.
I guess I said that because currently that’s sort of where the money to pay for trash services is coming from anyway. And that way there’s less of an opportunity to skip paying your bill.
It’s not like renters would be out of paying it. Renters indirectly pay the property taxes for their landlords, and I’m sure most landlord would be more than happy to pass along the fees to their renters with a bump in their monthly rates.
Coremodels : “The idea that while businesses across the nation, from the largest to the smallest, are suffering from the economy…hell, even Microsoft is laying people off now…that those businesses need to send the members of their now reduced staff at frozen wages to work in the public schools for some of their hours, and that some day down the road like 30 years from now, it’s to their benefit…is awful.”
That is not a complete assessment. Though I do agree that improving the schools is not a short-term money saver (not does it save much city money), but we shouldn’t abandon long-term improvements. Making them puts us in better position when things improve.
Business involvement in the schools doesn’t have to be a complete sacrifice. Material involvement is advertising, perhaps even more cost-effective than some other forms. Businesses can provide the existing resources and encourage staff to volunteer. There are multiple ways to get involved that aren’t a 1-to-1 transfer of value from a business to a school.
If James and the City are serious though, I would expect that the City offer tax incentives to do so.
Here is an interesting idea : The County do so by making deductions on property taxes. I know property-owning businesses who would be glad to give some time in order to save the raw $$$$ in pure cash paid out even at a 3 to 1 ratio or something. We would – CPS could get a international speaker physician to teach help science, for example, with that kind of deal.
In general, the City should engage more barter relationships. I bet more than a few business would love the opportunity to give time/resources to the City in exchange for relief on cash flow from taxes even at a rate. In the professional realm if work is slow, getting 25$/hr relief on the cash side of things at the cost of a 100$/hr billable employee might be a real help. In this current market, flowable cash is the big crunch and can be worth more in exchange than its nominal value. Leverage that.
A.