tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post1225630069084636285..comments2023-08-20T07:06:14.115-04:00Comments on Thurber's Thoughts: Finkbeiner proposes to raise taxes to balance the budgetMaggiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-16929154640814297382009-02-13T19:27:00.000-05:002009-02-13T19:27:00.000-05:00Maggie,I can find another ~$25 mil., don't buy the...Maggie,<BR/><BR/>I can find another ~$25 mil., don't buy the garbage and recycling bins and don't buy the one-armed-bandits and PRIVATIZE the garbage pickup.<BR/><BR/>Further, sell off the existing garbage/recycling vehicles and pocket the money (in the General Fund).<BR/><BR/>Oh, but that would also mean giving up a significant portion of the 1-1/2 % tax, a similar portion of the additional 3/4% "temporary tax" and ALL of the additional garbage and recycling fees.<BR/><BR/>Oh well, never mind. . .Hooda Thunkit (Dave Zawodny)https://www.blogger.com/profile/13176392380086227377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-60028073860923948032009-02-13T19:06:00.000-05:002009-02-13T19:06:00.000-05:00Even more updated, the union won a restraining ord...Even more updated, the union won a restraining order against that reduction. So in the mayor's "attempt to save money" he is already costing the city money.toledo1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01985755796023744571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-83310888565402366712009-02-13T18:35:00.000-05:002009-02-13T18:35:00.000-05:00Did he really think they were just going to say ok...Did he really think they were just going to say okay? If that were the case, then next year during budget issues, it would go down to 95, then 90, etc.. It is a slippery slope to a very unsafe situation, much like what police are experiencing right now.toledo1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01985755796023744571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-45981345161885206212009-02-13T16:32:00.000-05:002009-02-13T16:32:00.000-05:00Toledo1 - you called it!From The Blade:A Lucas Cou...Toledo1 - you called it!<BR/><BR/>From The Blade:<BR/><BR/><I>A Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge granted a temporary restraining order Friday, stopping the Toledo administration from moving forward with a plan to reduce firefighter staffing levels by eliminating one ladder truck from daily service. <BR/><BR/>Less than 24 hours after Mayor Carty Finkbeiner announced a plan to reduce the firefighter line strength from the contractual mandated 103 per day to 99, the Toledo firefighters union filed a complaint to stop the change from going forward.</I>Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-62824093828482236962009-02-13T14:14:00.000-05:002009-02-13T14:14:00.000-05:00Toledo1 - I think everyone agrees that there are s...Toledo1 - I think everyone agrees that there are some concessions all union members can make to 'help out' with the situation...but I agree with you that police and fire are primary statutory requirements and shouldn't be cut when there are other things in the budget that could come first.<BR/><BR/>And great point about potential challenge to the minimum-staffing levels. Whether or not a person agrees with the level, it's in the contract and needs to be honored until the contract is (if ever) re-negotiated.Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-15757469303609436192009-02-13T14:05:00.000-05:002009-02-13T14:05:00.000-05:00What the mayor is yet again ignoring is the fact t...What the mayor is yet again ignoring is the fact that the fire department has a minimum manning of 103 and cannot just tell them to work with 99. All that will do is go to arbitration and cost the city more money only to end up back at the SAFE level of 103. I fear for the police department that keeps shrinking each year as crime keeps rising. Then the city asks for concessions from them too. Isn't working with less people to protect you concession enough? I am not saying that some concessions should be made as all need to pitch in during this hard time, but the police department is conceding plenty by risking themselves everyday in an increasingly dangerous city.toledo1https://www.blogger.com/profile/01985755796023744571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-90323777200414274512009-02-13T11:11:00.000-05:002009-02-13T11:11:00.000-05:00Mike - the current version is what was passed by c...Mike - the current version is what was passed by council with three amendments.<BR/><BR/>* they eliminated a city auditor position in order to put that money toward CareNet<BR/><BR/>* they took some money out of the parks fund and put it into the general fund to pay for the staff person at Friendship Park Senior Center<BR/><BR/>* they took money out of CIP (pending approval by voters in September) to pay for a police and fire class at the end of the year (they also voted to put the issue before the voters because they would be using money from the 3/4% income tax that is supposed to be split between the Capital Improvements and General funds)<BR/><BR/>So, you're working with the current document - and I agree that there is significant room for cuts in multiple line items.Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12677808307727487766noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-44558714380472488962009-02-13T11:02:00.000-05:002009-02-13T11:02:00.000-05:00I haven't seen the most recent iteration, but ...I haven't seen the most recent iteration, but the one from November that is posted on the City's website seemed to have quite a bit of room in it. <BR/><BR/>There was line items in every department for "Food and Forage"; $22,000 in the General fund alone, $12,000 for Water Operations, Fleet Operations get $12,500 for food. <BR/><BR/>There were staggering numbers for "clothing and linen" (I assume these are uniforms, but I'm not sure why anyone other than Police and Fire need uniforms). The General fund allows for nearly $244,000 for that line item, and Sewer Operations are allocated $85,000 for clothes. Police have their own line item for uniforms at $305,000; Fire gets $240,000.<BR/><BR/>Water Operations has $86,000 budgeted for seasonal help and interns! Fleet Operations gets $6,800 for interns....really?<BR/><BR/>Sewer Operations have a $2,000 advertising budget. Good thing too because otherwise people would be still using outhouses.<BR/><BR/>The municipal tow lot spends $31,000 in office equipment rental, another $13,000 in "Drug, Chemical & Lab Support", and $3,000 in publications!<BR/><BR/>Rather than cut back on Police and Fire, do we really need a Youth Commission? ($114,000) I'm sure it's nice to have when your coffers are overflowing, but seriously...no police class.<BR/><BR/>We're raising taxes and cutting safety budgets, but we have an affirmative action department (apparently, purchasing cannot handle compliance on their own), and is anyone on the City payroll still driving a city car? Oh yeah, Human Resources gets a $4,200 car allowance. 'Cause HR travels a lot.<BR/><BR/>This isn't a ton, but it does add up. There was a number of other red flags that went up reading through it, but I don't have the time or the inclination to waste effort in trying to understand why taxpayer dollars are being spent on this stuff.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15429509314908518746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-20764228029058287172009-02-13T10:22:00.000-05:002009-02-13T10:22:00.000-05:00Well I think I learned something today. I have al...Well I think I learned something today. I have always thought that reciprocity meant that cities would withhold taxes for non-residents then swap them with the other cities in the area to "square-up" the books. So, if I live in Maumee but work in Toledo, Toledo would send my withholding to Maume and vise-versa. now I know better. I sure hope there is a City of Toledo left for the new mayor to rescue!Hot Dog Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01819572375983795025noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21829866.post-15338987099660737862009-02-13T09:39:00.000-05:002009-02-13T09:39:00.000-05:00Maggie,After reviewing the PowerPoint presentation...Maggie,<BR/><BR/>After reviewing the PowerPoint presentation, all I can say is, <BR/><BR/>"Welcome to the Carty the Magnificent's Magical Mystery Tour. Watch as our intrepid magician makes money appear and disappear. Be amazed as he pulls more debt out of a hat again and again and again. Gaze in wonder as his able assistant Robert Reinbolt makes budget numbers change in size and shape right before your eyes.<BR/><BR/>Bring mom, bring the kids, and bring your friends to a once in a lifetime show full of folly, fiction, and slight of hand seldom seen before."<BR/><BR/>I keep asking myself ... I mean, I know that the band was playing; but was there a magician performing on deck as the Titanic was going down>Timothy W Higginshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17118861693269565715noreply@blogger.com