Toledo City Council has rejected a continuation of the current $5.50 trash tax ($3.00 if you recycle) in favor of a sliding scale to bring the total to $10 if you don't recycle and $0 if you do.
This year, people who recycle would pay $2 and those who don't recycle would pay $7. Those amounts would go to $0 and $10 by 2010.
UPDATE: Vote was 8 to 4 ... all new rates go into effect May 1st:
2008: $7 for non-recyclers, $2 for recyclers
2009: $8.50 for non-recyclers, $1 for recyclers
2010: $10 for non-recyclers, $0 for recyclers
FOR the new fee structure: Mike Craig, D. Michael Collins, Joe McNamamra, George Sarantou, Betty Shultz, Mark Sobczak, Tom Waniewski, and Wilma Brown.
AGAINST the new fee structure: Phil Copeland, Frank Szollosi, Lindsay Webb, and Michael Ashford.
Kudos to Lindsay Webb who said during her campaign that she was against a trash fee in any form - and has voted accordingly.
UPDATE as of 8:54 p.m.: Motion to reduce the PERS pickups by 1% failed. Only McNamara, Szollosi and Webb voted to start the process of employees paying more of their own portion of their retirement contributions.
Council also voted to fund the LCIC at $25,000 and add $75,000 for economic development. Currently they are trying to follow how much money they've got to spend to see if they can start a police class in October.
They all look confused...they should have put the numbers up on a board in order to keep track of them because they've all got different figures on their papers and spent several minutes just figuring out how much money they do or don't have...
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
Hi maggie,
Talk about fast?? Your summary is much better than my memory. (See Death Star) And I was there!
A balance budget was also passed..subject to amendments. That is when I left the meeting. A normal citizen can only take so much.
I saw the Blade's "reporter" talking,texting, and writing. Can't wait for his version.
Thanks.
Tom
Thanks, Tom...
My recap of the actual budget will have to wait. I want the amendments and time to compare them to what was originally budgeted.
However, my fear is that such data will take months to obtain...
Kudos to Linsay Webb for sticking to her guns. This whole trash tax thing is a bunch of crap. Pure, simple and stinking.
Isn't it funny that when we, the residents, are short on money we are expected to adjust our spending and re-evaluate what is absolutely necessary vs. "the frills" of life? If we don't take this route we are referred to as frivolous, irresponsible or uncaring.
Why is it so different for the politicians? Oh yeah - now I remember ... it's because they are playing with OUR money, not their own.
One more attagirl/woman to Lindsay.
At the Garbage Tax meeting in her district, approximately 99% of the attendees raised their arms thereby affirming their disdain for the (Carty's version)$5.50/3.00tax.
T
Maggie,
Well the mayor and city council have done it again. Performing another feat of legerdermain, they have focused our attention on the trash tax, while magically approving a ridiculous city budget. Two things here:
1. While we were all arguing about the length of garbage routes, there were no cuts sought in administration, frivilous projects, and out of control employee benefits.
2. The argument on recycling, and the reason for the fee has likewise become ridiculous. Only the recycling of metal has proved to be self-sustaining (aluminum, copper. Plastic and paper recycling are only self-sustaining with government subsidy, and the material often ultimately ends up in the landfill, as no one is capable of processing it.
Congratulations City Council, for the entertainment of another magic show, for passing a useless pc gesture at taxpayer expense, and for an increased budget in a city getting smaller every year.
RE: Your update on this debacle...would it not be a prudent gesture to make use of technology and place the agenda items in a power point presentation and project it on a large screen so that the public can follow along and try to make sense of the convoluted thought processes of Council?
This might be especially helpful when council members all appear to have different numbers...
I wonder if they are going to weasle a retro trash fee, like they did last year with the new rate.
Post a Comment