How much more can citizens pay?

We are heading into our new budget cycle and are just talking about finance policy before we get into the presentation of the hard numbers for 2012. Our City Manager David Limardi will be leading us in the discussion for the final time since he will be moving on January 1, 2012. One of David's finest talents was to manage our budget policy and action agenda's. Last year when asked to have revenues meet expenditures, he met the task and then some. The Council was the one in the final analysis that backed off his balanced budget proposal and spent more than he had suggested.

That being said, I have been asking that we understand the financial stress that residents are under in this economic crunch. As our homes and property have lost significant value over the past several years, proposed real estate taxes, sewer, and water fees continue to rise. While social security checks have stayed flat and investments are shrinking, we are presented charts that show the average municipality rates to justify raising fees and taxes. If Northbrook, Willmette, Evanston, and Lake Forest can raise these fees we seemingly are enabled to do the same ourselves. NOT!

I am told well over 30% of mortgages are underwater which means those people owe more money than their home is worth. Since our homes are most of our savings, the dream has taken a quite a hit even if the stock market comes back again.

 At least for now we have not been charged in feeding the hungry, providing medical treatment to those without medical insurance, or providing housing to the homeless. For now, this job has fallen on our federal and state governments as well as those whose charity continues to flow though our wonderful not for profits. Our responsibility centers around public safety, roads, sewers, water, land use, and promotion of a vibrant economy and culture.

If staff asks us to increase fees and property taxes we need to know how many people can afford these increases before we raise anything. I have been hearing my colleagues state that we are bare bones, cut too much, and need to better fund city departments and programs. Along with looking for more efficient structures of governmental administrations, we need identify and understand the pain of our residents to see who can afford more money leaving their pockets for government. I'm ready to work and drill down as far as it takes to perform in with the best representation of our citizens. That means asking lots of questions, taking nothing for granted, and looking for brand new solutions and partnerships that might have been unthinkable just a few years ago. Let's Go!