From lebomag.com:
http://lebomag.com/8604/proposed-amendments-to-recommended-budget/
After a month of budget hearings and discussions, commissioners formulated a list of amendments in the form of additions and subtractions to the 2013 Manager’s Recommended Budget. The final public hearing on the budget will be 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 11 in commission chambers. The budget vote will immediately follow.
Here are some highlights:
Changes to revenue include:
* Reduce real estate tax to meet the windfall cap (required under law during a reassessment year) — $60,000 decrease. The exact certified values of real estate within municipal borders for the 2013 tax year are not known as a result of the ongoing reassessment of properties in Allegheny County. The millage rate is currently 5.43 mills but this rate will be reduced by the commission after receipt of the final 2013 values.
* Addition of revenues from alternate sources, such as the Veteran’s Memorial fund and the Plein Air event — $21,360 increase
* Revenue from tennis court lighting: $6,000
Changes to expenditures include:
* Reduction in anticipated cost of health insurance: $53,700 decrease
* Fee for participation in the new regional earned income tax collection district: $4,790
* Increase in assessment from Medical Rescue Team South Authority: $16,210
* Addition of a development consultant to procure grants and outside funding: $35,000
* Reduction in cost of new management assistant position by waiting until April to fill: $22,000 decrease
* Purchase of artwork from the Plein Air festival to place in the Municipal Building: $1,000 (funded by contributions, as noted above); additional pole decorations for Beverly Road: $3,770 (with 50 percent funding by contributions).
* Add irrigation system to Veteran’s Memorial: $18,480 (funded by contributions)
* Debt service reduction: $62,030 decrease
* Add deer survey: $12,000
* Add streaming and indexing of public meetings: $13,100
* Increase to Outreach Teen & Family Services subsidy: $1,000
* Hire consultant to appeal under-assessed properties: $25,000
* Reduce swimming pool maintenance since pool items are covered in recent bond issue: $7,500 reduction.
The budget amendments also include a shifting of a position in the finance office to cover collections.
There are still several unknowns in the budget. The municipality is waiting to hear a final total for payment to the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. Additionally, the commission will need to approve any budget carryovers for any items that were budgeted for 2012 but not yet completed.
I like that they're going after underassessed properties.
ReplyDelete"real estate tax to meet the windfall cap"
ReplyDeleteTranslation - This is a 5% across the board property tax increase.
Yes - some properties will see their 2013 tax bill still decrease and some will see their tax bill increase 5% (and even more) --- based on how one's property fared in the recent reassessment.
Nevertheless --- the plan is to have 2013 real estate revenue = 105% of 2012 real estate revenue.
After the last tax increase and the storm water fee and the block party fee and ... it is unbelievable.
Make no mistake about it - this has absolutely nothing to do with the county reassessment, (other than the state law limiting the increase to 5%) --- our 2012 Mt. Lebanon Commission is planning to raise our collective property taxes by 5%..
Again ... unbelievable.
Further, to even mention in the same breath that this significant and substantial tax increase has anything to do with the reassessment is cowardly and disingenuous --- at best!
I will save how I really feel about this for more private conversation ...
8:48 They may not be able legally to go after underassessed properties, believe it or not. The solicitor gave that opinion in a recent commission meeting.
ReplyDeleteAsk your commissioner to explain that ! Better yet, attend the commission meeting on Dec. 11th. and ask the entire commission and solicitor in public. The meeting will also be shown on cable.
We want turf,
ReplyDeleteNo, we want space,
No, we want turf,
No, we want an unelected YSA advisory board to tell us how to spend our 5% tax increase.
Posti's got their home's assessment value reduced by half after appealing it. They paid
ReplyDelete$300K for their home and got it reduced to $150K That's unbelievable to me. She was a school board members at the time as well.
Posti did what?
ReplyDelete10:33 if that is possibly true- forget about the high school project, forget about turf, the taxpayers should stage a mass meeting in front of our newly elected state senator and demand an investigation!
ReplyDeleteHe proclaimed as a state representative that he would make sure state and local government worked for us. Hope you makes good on that promise.
1:03 How could he after the cameo pic with JoPo? Don't bet on it.
ReplyDeleteTo elaborate a bit further on Mr. Matthews 8:31 AM comment, the municipal millage in 2011 was 4.76 mills, which was raised to 5.43 mills for 2012 - a 14% increase ! Add to that the stormwater tax disguised as a fee of $96 imposed on us, so add another 1%. That makes it 15% in one year. And they will NOW increase millage after the reassessment revenue-neutral adjustment to effect another 5% in increased real estate tax revenue for 2013 because the law allows it ?
ReplyDeleteSo, Mt. Lebanon citizens are facing what amounts to a 20% increase in taxes over just a 2 year period ! And don't try to con and downplay it Mt. Lebanon with the spiel that it doesn't apply to each and every household.
I doubt Dominic Gambino's witch was there to oppose Posti's assessment reduction?
ReplyDeleteIf 10:33 is correct cf course the record will show that the district's hired $150/appeal observer put up one helluva fight to stop This absurd reduction!
ReplyDeleteAnd again if 10:33 is correct- why wouldn't Jo vote for higher administrative salaries and any other high priced proposal. She'll be paying less in actual taxes.
The question is though why the other eight board members go along?
Add $12,000 for deer survey. Kristen, this is why I feel the need to sleep in the basement or move:
ReplyDeletehttp://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/12/01/police-motorist-hit-by-bullet-in-south-fayette-township/
For you being the lone wolf, you got your way. To reduce the deer/ vehicle incidents on Washington Rd. and Mt. Lebanon Blvd., how about chipping in for a deer cull on Roycroft, starting in your yard? Maybe you can get your buddies on St. Clair Drive to pitch in too. You guys don't have vinyl siding, so it shouldn't be a problem, right?
Elaine
ReplyDeletehttp://www2.county.allegheny.pa.us/RealEstate/Search.aspx
They purchased their home on arden in september of 2003 for 300K. After being elected to the school board she appealed the the assessed value. County assessed value is now $151,500. She talked about doing this when people asked questions.
These are not the new numbers coming up in 2013, so this is not as bad as it might seem.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the value has been in place for several years and Gambino probably had no input on the sat appeal
It will be interesting to see what next years valuation is.
This does illustrates how absurd the assessment process is. If the value is supper to reflect fair market value then one could make one of two assumptions.
Neither points to any funny business.
Posti's reassessment for 2013 is $258,100. Current is shown as $166,500. Yes, it was purchased in 2003 for $300,000.
ReplyDeleteElaine
This is link is for 2013. http://www2.alleghenycounty.us/reval/Search.aspx
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is why Josephine is advertising on her unofficial school board blog, Center Court.
Elaine
Could this be an issue for Matt Smith to follow up on? After all, it's so unfair and appears like JoPo is getting a sweetheart deal while she sends her thugs to the reassessment appeal hearings to bleed the last possible nickel out of residents.
ReplyDeleteWhere is the justice???
Yes this is an issue for Smith plus the governor and the rest of the legislators.
ReplyDeleteThis illustrates the absurdity of the whole process that is suppose to value homes at fair market.
Tom Moertel and James Fraasch did an excellent analysis over at Bloglebo sometime back.
It's not fair to go after Posti for taking advantage of something we all could or at least try to do.
One could question the Posti's ability to understand property values and therefore her decisions on the impact district taxes have on MTL home values, bit that is a separate issue, I think.
If she purchased her home.in 2003 for $300,000 and the county says its worth only $258,100 in 2013 how can she or anyone else argue that the a great school district is increasing the value of our homes?
ReplyDeleteObviously, it hasn't done much for the school board president, past president and a number of high end properties on Hoodridge and Virginia Manor, according to county assessments!
Looks like Posti overpaid for her house, just like she is overpaying for a renovation...OOPS
ReplyDeleteIt is about duplicity.
ReplyDeleteWe are not educators so we follow the recomendations of the staff.
We are not educators but we know charter schools are bad.
It is the county's job to assess properties not the school district's.
It is the school district's job to challenge assessment appeals not the county's.
My tax bill is lower so I can afford all this.
Your tax bill higher to pay for all this.
It is fair to go after Posti because she is a public official and should pay her fair share, not half price. Unless she is just careless with money. If she is careless with money she should join the State legislature.
ReplyDeleteOnly the municipality and the school board can appeal an assessment upward.
ReplyDeleteSome of this is entertaining, however, the issue here is the Municipal budget.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the 5% real estate tax revenue increase.
I am not comfortable with the Municipality's projected -- 5% -- increase in Earned Income Tax revenue. It does not seem to align with the otherwise somewhat stagnant wage structures we see across the bubble.
Maybe they have better information, but if they plan on spending these dollars and they don't come in, where does that leave us?
The train has left the station on this budget - but it is not too late for folks to weigh in before it reaches its final destination. There is still a couple of weeks before the Commission reaches its hand deep into our right and left pockets.
December 11, to be exact.
ReplyDeleteElaine
There is no Charter or other legal requirement for only a single December commission meeting. Last year, because of unresolved budgetary and related fiscal issues, a second December meeting occurred on December 20th. !
ReplyDeleteIt would require a 3-2 vote.
So how does this work? We say that we disagree with the 5% real estate tax revenue increase. Then what? Do they have to reduce the budget by 5%?
ReplyDeleteSteve Feller said that the 2013 budget is drama-free. http://lebomag.com/8280/managers-recommended-budget/
Elaine
The way it always works around here is that when the residents say they disagree with the tax increases, they then watch it happen.
ReplyDeleteThe only way to find out what is really important is to constrain the resources available.
ReplyDeleteJust look at what happened with the high school project. When they could not afford what they thought they could, about 30,000 square feet of space was no longer necessary -- in other words, several million dollars of stuff that was absolutely necessary -- was not.
There are some things we can learn from the District...
There are some on the Commission and School Board that would disagree with Mr. Matthews first comment.
ReplyDeleteHere is a way to look at it.
If you brought all the residents to a commission meeting and said, "before you leave, be sure each of you contribute your share to the collection plate so that the sum total of all collections is $100 and make sure this $100 is distributed according to your assessed property value" then that could be your tax. Everyone could easily do the calculation and figure out who owes how much.
Now, when the reassessments happen and people pay their same millage rate based on the new assessments, the total collected on the next night might equal $120 or a massive 20% increase in property tax. Well, in Pennsylvania that is against the law. The law says you can only collect 5% more due to a reassessment.
So now you get everyone back in that room to redo the calculation. The Commission has the choice to either collect the original amount from the same residents (the $100) or they have the choice to increase the revenue (taxes) from the residents by $5. This commission is going to raise the taxes by that $5. However, in the case of the commission that $5 is actually more like $80,0000. The confusing part is that the millage RATE will go down due to higher assessments.
The school board is most likely going to do the same thing so residents in Mt. Lebanon will see two back-door tax increases. In the case of the school board, their 5% will be in the millions.
Both taxing bodies have the ability (I would argue they have the "duty" to hold the line on these increases.
Elaine,
ReplyDeletePart of this is recognizing what they are up to.
There are not many residents like Bill that raise their hand and ask what is going on.
The more people that realize this, the better.
The people that got hit hardest by the reassessment should be out in droves but they aren't.
As with all local issues, education is the key. GI Joe said it best:
KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE
Let's examine the things we can learn from the district.
ReplyDelete1. Put a project plan out to bid that you believe will come in under $100 million. Fein surprise when it doesn't happen.
2. In order to proceed with the plan you cut frills that absolutely, positively had toe included.
3. To hold the line on tax increases you decided to eliminate student counselors, librarians etc.
4. Then you bestow lucrative salary increases and vacation days on the very administration that has guided you to spend $41,000 to find rich sugar daddies able to give $30 million, no $15 million, poops check that... we might be able to scrounge up $6 million over 6 years if we're lucky.
Mean while surrounding school district administrators take voluntary pay freezes.
I think looking to the school district for fiscal restraint is thinking small. Why don't we think really, really big and look to Greece for guidance.
@11:43
ReplyDeleteAll of your points were predicted well in advance of them happening.
Nobody on the board wanted to listen. Many in the community didn't believe it. Those who talked openly about it were shunned.
They cut librarians. The cut curriculum, they cut curriculum staff, they cut administrators, they cut supplies.
The only thing they haven't cut is teachers and admin salaries.
Yes, using round numbers, school district expenditures were approx. $72 million in 2009-10.
ReplyDeleteIn 2012-13 expenditures are in the neighborhood of $82 million.
So district spending has increased over the last 4 years at a rate of $2.5 million/year.
Is this really the model we want the commissioners to follow?
Please tell me Mr. Matthews is kidding.
Yep, 12:13 all those points were predicted sell in advance.
ReplyDeleteThough not by the people we put in charge, that had access to every bit of information possible and are supposed to be stewards of our district.
In fact those very elected officials went out of their way to demonize the people advising them to step back.
To add insult to injury, they spent 'our' tax dollars sending out a glitzy FAQ mailer signed by then board president to tell their constituents how wrong they were.
Yet we still elect them to office.
Bill M probably has a better understanding of the budgets of both the SD and municipality as anyone in town. In fact, if he ran for office on either I'd vote for him, but his.7:58 post baffles.
ReplyDeleteCan we merge the school district with the commission? Can the commission take over the assets and budget of the school district?
ReplyDeleteBill's comment seems plain to me: we ought to learn from the school district's mistakes.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the school district's decision-makers believed that nothing less than a triple-latte design would suffice for the high-school project. No amount of reason and evidence from concerned members of the community could sway them from their belief.
What did sway them was having their triple latte taken away from them. When the bids for it came in impossibly high, they were forced to attempt, for real this time, to make due with a double latte. And they discovered that they could. Just fine, they later told us.
So Bill's point is this: It's easier for decision-makers to spend your money than it is for them to figure out how to make do with less. Unless you force them to make do, they won't. But if you force them, they discover that they can.
Cheers,
Tom
Bill wrote, "There are some things we can learn from the District..."
ReplyDeleteThis can be interpreted as, we are the pupils and the District is the teacher.
It does not mean we out to learn from the school district's mistakes, even if we want it to be so.
With respect to school boards and local governments, in Connecticut, where I lived for a couple of years, things are done differently. Take the City of Meriden, for example. The Board of Education submits a budget to the Meriden City Council and City Manager. The City Manager determines how much or how little the Board of Education will be funded. Then it heads to the council. The Council acts as a check and balance to any grandiose plans the Board of Education may have. It isn't foolproof by any means, but it's better than what we have here.
ReplyDeleteAlong these same lines, where were all of the fiscal conservatives last month when the Commission approved borrowing $500,000 to re-design 2 holes on the golf course and another $500,000 to make passive improvements at an already passive park? You guys all talk a great game but no one stood up and told the Commission "no" on those two "wants".
ReplyDeleteDave Franklin
The conservatives saw that the golf course improvements and Robb Hollow are needs for a much bigger picture. As we see that your desire for turf is simply a want.
ReplyDeleteThis was emailed to me.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this bit of information will help those in your present blog discussion. The real estate is budgeted for 2013 (including the item on the amendment sheet) at 11,778,460. This is an increase over the projected 2012 collections of 4.58%. Remember that the 5% windfall cap is based on the collections for the year prior, excluding refunds. It does not look like this will change before adoption, but may have to be adjusted in January once final 2012 receipts are known.
Note also though the real estate budget overall in 2013 is increasing 4.2% over the 2012 budget. This is because there are other real estate taxes to be collected (prior year and liened) and these are decreasing in 2013 based on historical collections. This information was provided to me by the Director of Finance.
Dave, you come across like a whining child. Good god, do you actually read what's on your screen before you post it? Fixing an existing facility is just a bit different than embarking on some ridiculous exercise in tax-and-spend folly, like turfing fields for children and not having the revenue to maintain it (or like building a brand new high school for a shrinking projected enrollment).
ReplyDeleteAs for Bill M's post, some of you need to take off your Captain Literal hats. Pretty sure he didn't mean we can learn from the district in the sense they're wise but rather we can learn from the district in the sense they totally screwed up.
Absolutely, apologies to Bill Mathews. I for one took his last sentence literally. I guess I've become gun shy when anyone recommends observing the school district for direction.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Bill. I'd still vote for you if you ran for either body.
Dave does sound whiny.
ReplyDeleteThe problem was that he could never convince anyone that his proposal made any economic sense whatsoever.
The commission was told time and again that we had a field SPACE problem. One commissioner proposal adding a new field to add field SPACE to solve the problem and the Dave's immediately got exposed as having a plan to become like Upper St. Clair to keep up with the Jones.
It never made sense Dave. You may yet get your turf in a year or two depending on elections but it will still be a silly plan.
Back to the point at hand....the municipality is planning to raise taxes by 5% with no cuts to the budget, just additions.
If you are ok with that, fine. Otherwise write them a nice note expressing why you think they should hold the line on REVENUES.
5:04 Franklin. Stop yammering and pay up the $80,000 in arrears to the District for YSA nonpayments and underpayments over the past 10 years. And then step up and start paying for the use of municipal athletic fields via voluntary usage fees or significant donations. No one will pay attention to you as long as you and your pack remain deadbeats !
ReplyDeleteI would like to comment on Bill Matthews comment at 12/3, 7:58pm.
ReplyDeleteWhat Bill has proposed is not an uncommon management practice. I've seen many corporate reorganizations that were associated with massive workforce reductions. A common approach is for management to announce to the organization that a line of business or a department will be discontinued in 30 days. The employees in these shark tanks have 30 days to find a place for themselves or they are unemployed. If any other organizations have a critical need for any of the functions of a department or the use of the functionality from a server then they need to quickly make arrangements to incorporate their critical need into their current operations.
I don't really like this practice. I prefer to see change occur in a more managed fashion, but Bill has a very interesting idea. It would be interesting to see how this approach could be applied in Mt Lebanon.
I like the idea Bill. Unless we create a sense of urgency our community will never change.
We should give the comic book staff 30 days notice. The only thing the comic book is good for is to put it in the church recycle bin to help offset the cost of the storm water fee.
ReplyDeleteHere is one for you, 9:47 AM. The municipal staff is set to receive a 3% increase across the board. Their increases are not based on performance. So our fabulous fire chief is set to receive the same increase as our semiretired PIO. Does that sound fair to you?
ReplyDeleteElaine
Freeze all salaries, then look at each individual and evaluate their performance and justify something over and above if they truly exceeded expectations.
ReplyDeleteI know too many people that have been laid off, taken a cut, absorbed more duties or not had a raise in a number of years.
The police and fire chiefs I can accept giving them a little more. In my mind we can't pay them enough for the risk they take on.
The PIO, if they can get more money somewhere else - more power to 'em. If I never received another issue of MTLmagazine would be just fine. It's a propaganda rag for itself, the school district and the self important Lebo blue bloods.
In today's Almanac:
ReplyDelete"[USC] awarded a contract for an amount not to exceed $37,500 to the United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Service to conduct deer culling activities in the township.
It has been reported: "The Mt. Lebanon budget will be approved to spend $12,000 on a deer survey in 2013, with the possibility of spending another $51,000 plus expenses for 2014."
So our wise and powerful commissioners will spend 1/3 of USC''s cull amount surveying the deer. (I heard thru the grapevine that a majority of the deer don't like artificial turf-LOL) Then spend just shy of double USC's hunt amount to actually cull.
Yeah, let's go for across the board 3% pay hikes. The employees certainly exceeded some expectations... like spending money we don't have!
In the private sector:
ReplyDelete"He [Jim Rohr CEO] said Pittsburgh-based PNC will continue to cut costs next year, slashing another roughly $500 million in expenses on top of the $550 million in cost reductions slated for 2012. The super-regional bank plans to step up branch consolidations next year as one way to cut costs. PNC also "will consider repricing" some of its retail banking products, Mr. Rohr said.
PNC shuttered about 50 branches this year across its multistate footprint. In some cases, those offices were replaced by a new one or the closure resulted from an acquisition, a spokesman said."
The good old Mt. Lebanon's officials on the other hand, with their usual eye on the future:
-give out across the board 3% pay raises.
-build more parks, borrow more money and look for more creative bullish*t ways to sell artificial turf to their constituents
and probably assigned the PIO to write a PR release for a later date when they need more taxes.
Great fiscal management, commissioners!
Yes, 3:10 PM, you got it right. That is $51,000 plus expenses for multiple years. USC has been culling since 1997 or 1998.
ReplyDeleteIt will work out perfectly. Linfante will be president, so she can fire the first shot.
She did bankrupt the San Jose Orchestra, after all.
Elaine
She didn't bankrupt the San Jose Ochestra on her own but you'd think the experience would have taught her some lessons.
ReplyDeleteForgot to add credit for the PG text on PNB.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article in the PG this morning: "Dormont has no plans to take 5 percent increase"
ReplyDeleteFrom the story by Harry Funk: Under the law, municipalities can receive a maximum 5 percent increase in tax revenue after an assessment, but Dormont doesn't plan to take the increase.
"We decided [to] not take any of that 5 percent and be as truthful as we can," said Bill McCartney, council president.
Now, contrast this with our Municipality's position, reported in mtl under the headline NO BIG SURPRISES IN MANAGER"S RECOMMENDED BUDGET: The budget assumes a property assessment that will result in an increase of 5 percent over real estate revenue from 2012.
Hey y'inz guys at 710 Washington Road -- The Commission sets the millage rate to arrive at the projected revenue number for 2013, not the County Assessor's office. The Commission can set the millage for:
1) Less revenue (this is where the revenue number will be smaller than 2012 revenue),
2) More revenue (this is where the revenue number will be bigger than 2012 revenue), or
3) The same revenue (this is where the revenue number will be the same as 2012 revenue).
Case #1 would be called a tax decrease.
Case #2 would be called a tax increase.
Case #3 would be called a great idea.
As I write this morning, the Commission appears to be targeting Case #2.
Without a doubt, the decision resides solely with the Commission. And like Dormont, y'inz have an opportunity to be honest with the Community and not hide behind the County.
One last thing, y'inz still have an opportunity to SURPRISE us ... n'at.
8:32 this is an election year and the Commission needs enough slop in the till to feed the YSA.
ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteYou are right on.
The school district will announce its preliminary budget in a few weeks. It will be interesting to see how they approach this...
Wait, what am I saying. We already know Jan Klein is budgeting the 5%. There is no suspense at school district.
Excellent report Bill M.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, Linfante immigrated to Mt. Lebanon before the real ramifications of the San Jose spending model hit home.
Now she's rubber stamping all the wants and pay hikes that will eventually put us in the same predicament.
See then following from the NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/us/22bcstevens.html
San Jose Mayor Declares State of ‘Fiscal Emergency’
By ELIZABETH LESLY STEVENS
Published: May 21, 2011
"The finances of cities, counties and states are under siege. Chuck Reed, an old military man who is now mayor of San Jose, has decided to go nuclear.
While leaders of other struggling jurisdictions negotiate with public employee unions for relief, or flirt with bankruptcy filings, or propose laws to limit employees’ collective-bargaining rights, Mr. Reed has declared a state of fiscal emergency in his sprawling city of nearly 1 million people. The City Council is expected to make the declaration official at a meeting on Tuesday, imposing sort of the government-finance version of martial law.
In theory, at least, a state of emergency will enable Mr. Reed, a popular Democrat, to amend contracts and benefits packages of the city’s employees and retirees. Most significantly, in what may become a test-case with national implications, Mr. Reed is asserting that public employees have no “vested rights” to the specific terms of their pension plans and benefits going forward. (Already-accrued benefits would not be affected.)"
Now then look back to an early school board meeting in the Little Theatre when Linfante's RealLebo blog partner and ex-Californian Ms. the district to be more like California.
When Linfante and Blumfield get done, Lebo very well may be.
Missing text from 10:03 post.
ReplyDeleteNow then look back to an early school board meeting [on the renovation] in the Little Theatre when Linfante's RealLebo blog partner and ex-Californian Ms. [Labalme, admonished] the district to be more like California.
Bill Matthews,
ReplyDeleteI have a better idea. Add the cost to run the police department, fire department, public works (to maintain and repair the parks and the streets), have a code enforcement officer and minimal administrative overhead. The sum for these operations with becomes the municipal budget.
Someone mentioned MtL - Let's sell it off! Take the proceeds and invest in infrastructure, like brighter downtown street lighting; or public safety. We can choose a new police car, fire truck, police radar, another police dog, etc. from the sale proceeds.
Since when does a government body have the right to FORCE taxpayers to subscribe to a magazine?
ReplyDeleteCut it loose from the municipal budget and let it operate on it's own. Send out subscription notices, if you want it you subscribe, if you don't you throw the notice in the trash.
On the bright side I hear Dave Franklin has shockingly been named as the Parks Advisory Liasion to the newly formed Turf Committee.
ReplyDeleteThis wiki descript of editorial highlights exactly what is wrong with MTLmagazine.
ReplyDelete"Editorial
An editorial, leading article (UK), or leader (UK) is an opinion piece written by the senior editorial staff or publisher of a newspaper or magazine. Editorials may be supposed to reflect the opinion of the periodical. In Australian and major United States newspapers, such as the New York Times[1] and the Boston Globe,[2] editorials are often classified under the heading "opinion"."
The magazine started out as a way to get municipal and school disyrict info into the hands of the community with a smattering of local advertising and stories of interest. It has since morphed into a propaganda vehicle.
11:33 AM, Gee, I didn't see that one coming.
ReplyDeleteThe Commission will raise taxes by 5%. President Brumfield is in lacrosse. VP elect Linfante has a baseball legend in her family. Bendel wants to look at turfing a field. Franklin is Parks Advisory liaison. He gets another vote as whatever he coaches. He gets a third vote as Mr. Stacey Franklin. The unassigned funds can be spent with three votes.Anyone who thinks the Turf Board has no power needs to have a reality check. Turf is a done deal. Tax increase - done deal. Linfante as VP - done deal. I cannot support anyone who takes this point of view. Just putting that out there.
Elaine
Oh yeah there's an objective advisor on Parks and turf.
ReplyDeleteI can see it now, "I've analyzed all the info on park/field usage the long-term cost if turf and my suggestion surprise, surprise is to turf and light a field.
Let's just dispense with the turf committee, we know what the answers will be!
How much do you want to bet that even after the commissioners tap my wallet to build a dog park the neighborhood Fido's will still use my Pachysandra as their private urinal.
ReplyDeleteTo me they're more annoying than the deer.
The PNC comparison to me strikes at the heart of the matter.
ReplyDeleteHere is a private entity making the best and sometimes hard choices to remain a leader and best serve their clients.
The local governing bodies though seem to engage in the opposite. The school board with declining enrollments have more staff than ever before. The municipality rather than looking for ways to operate more efficiently and economically looks to expand expenditures.
Can anyone explain it?
One of the goals of this Commission was to generate more revenue. Look at the original post and see how much revenue the Commission has generated. Then consider how many more expenditures are listed.
ReplyDeleteHow many were writing the grants previously? Have their workloads eased up at all with this new position? Are they still getting a 3% increase? How about that new management assistant? Is that anything like an assistant manager or is that an assistant to the management? Why does that sound like a conversation between Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute? With management getting an assistant, why should there be raises?
Elaine
The municipal manager needs an assistant because someone has to figure out how to sell the Parks Advisory Liasion's plan for turfing a field to the public. Since that liaison has never ever put I'm writing a 10 to 20 year comparison of total cost of ownership for a grass field and a turfed one, there will be a lot of late nights developing a PR campaign to sell turf.
ReplyDeleteA couple of other responsibilities for the new assistant will be to manage the pooper scoopers at the new dog park and figuring out where to hide the revenue from the new field advertising signs.
That will be a really hard job since in all these months since the passage of the field sign ordinance we still have no idea who will fun it or get the money from it.
I'll bet the Parks Advisory Liasion knows exactly where to stick it.
The Parks Advisory Liaison will to stick it to you 2:23.
ReplyDelete4:38 I keep seeing this scene from Animal House.
ReplyDeleteKevin Bacon represents the average taxpayer and the robed brothers portray the Parks Advisory Committee or the Elders as Fakelebo calls them.
Check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdFLPn30dvQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player