"CRAZY" patsy cline
First an apology, this wasn't a budget meeting. Its was a meeting to discuss "New Revenue Sources."
Now before anyone thinks these were proposals sent by the city administration to council to consider, the best way to describe it is "throw it against the wall and see what sticks." Doug Lewis made it very clear to both me and the News-Herald reporter that these were just ideas.
Proposed only a 75% credit on city income taxes payed to another city instead of a 100% credit now. So if you pay 2% in Mentor on $40,000.00 you still pay Mentor $800.00 but now you also owe Painesville an additional $200.00 your not paying now. The finance director believes this could bring in an additional $470,000?
Presently only 29% of the people that pay Painesville City income tax live and work in the city.
A levy, a one mil levy would bring in $256,000.00 in revenue a year.
Annual housing inspection by the fire department would bring in an extra $63,000.00.$50.00 fine for parking in a fire lane or near a hydrant.
A higher fine for false alarm calls.
My favorite... If you call the fire department to put out a fire in your home the fire department will charge your homeowners policy $500.00.WOW!
Don't even ask what happens if their called to a car accident? I'm still trying to figure that one out.
How about a radar picture taker mounted on a trailer? Speeders on Rt.2 or Rt. 44? The fine will be in the mail.
Higher user fees, recreation fees?
Parking fines from $5.00 to $25.00
Now if your late with a utility bill there's a 5% charge, lets make it 10% so we will be in line with other communities.
Want your road resurfaced? Will assess you over 20 years, around $240.00 a year.
The list goes on. Now if you don't believe me call your council people and let them know what you think of these New Revenue Sources. I brought up why doesn't the city look into cuts or streamline the city government? I was told that's not what this meeting was about tonight. The "sacred cows" city administrator's and employees go on their merry way. Only about 18% live in the city, who's worried about their vote anyway?
The administration feels withe new Governor the city could lose over 2 million in state aid.
A comment was made that the city pays 2.9 million dollars in health care benefits for 350 employees. Wonder what the employees pay?
Shared Sacrifice will never be spoken in the Ville'
posted by terminator1 @ 7:32 PM
27 Comments
27 Comments:
Maybe you could get that guy from WikiLeaks to look into Painesville.
I only hope you know it's December first coming up not April first!
THIS is their idea of a "new revenue source"? Proposed only a 75% credit on city income taxes payed to another city instead of a 100% credit now. So if you pay 2% in Mentor on $40,000.00 you still pay Mentor $800.00 but now you also owe Painesville an additional $200.00 your not paying now. The finance director believes this could bring in an additional $470,000? Presently only 29% of the people that pay Painesville City income tax live and work in the city.
This is ludicrous! It's like a punishment tax for working in a city where there happens to be a good job, and living in a city where there aren't ANY good jobs. Why should the residents suffer because city hall doesn't know what they're doing? Oh, right. That's because "that's the Painesville way of doing things."
HEY RITA. I got a few GREAT ideas for "new revenue sources". 1. Find places for people to shop, bring to Painesville. 2. Collect property tax from the business. 3. Collect income tax from the employees. 4. Enjoy newfound "revenue source".
I don't see what's so difficult about this. Mentor has been successfully doing it for years.
Andy Flock isn't the only person who's lost (or losing) faith in Rita and JaHaHa.
I had more typed, but the Blog said I typed too much, so I had to split my comment into two posts.
Anyway, here's a few more great ideas for revenue sources:
Charge Heritage Middle School and Harvey HS students $1 every time they ignore the crossing signal at Liberty/Walnut. The city would make $100 in its first day alone, and this is no exaggeration.
Charge Hal Werner $20 every time he complains about Mike's Cafe/Marcia's Place/Jackie's Bar and Grille in his private residence. Should net about $4000/month. Fine is $100 for every time he does it during a council meeting.
A $1 fine for every minute that Bob Fountain does or says NOTHING at a council meeting. That should be about $113.50 every meeting.
I should stop before I get really mean.
Did some of these people sleep through the election we just had? I thought the message was clear, stop the taxation, less government, etc. Then our officials talk about raising "Revenue", when we all know govrnmrnt revenur comes from one place only, citizens pockets!
Adam,8:28 These were only trial ballons, to be honest at most "ideas" even the council rolled their eyes. Except Fountain MIA I feel for you Ward 3.
Calm down and phone your councilman. The story should be in Wednesday News-Herald.
How about a $ 1.00 for every mumble out of Andy Flock mouth, about $1000.00 a night.
Everyone missed the easiest solution of all. Get Veronica and HOLA to ask each illegal alien to make a $20 a year donation to keep their sanctuary city from going broke and......ta da.....we have plenty of money!
Identifying and maximizing new revenue streams is an ongoing and important responsibility of government. Why do you think Rita et al worked so hard to get those grants. (even though those are ultimately taxpayer-funded too). But raising taxes in an already depressed area is SHORT-SIGHTED. As some of the above posters pointed out adopting any combination of these proposals would hurt residents already here and keep others from moving or visiting the city. Not good long-range planning. Some seriously visible belt-tightening at city hall would make some sacrifices by residents much more palatable. We should already be prepared for some services to be cut or eliminated...how about the city adopting some of the cost-cutting measures that the private sector does...such as wage freezes or cuts, shifting some benefit costs to employees and cutting payroll though attrition for starters.
PS to 9:25.... Mr Flock's 'mumbling' is priceless
I'm with 10:57. We legal citizens are paying enough. Let's make the illegals pay. How about enforcing occupancy laws and fining landlords BIG TIME for all the trouble their wonderful Mexican tenants cause?? Tax the heck out of their stores and restaurants.
Or, the powers that be can just continue business as usual, and those of us who can move, will, and then you might as well rename Painesville "New Leon" and give up.
To 7:37 am
They can't read RED or GREEN
In addition to Mr. Flocks mumbling, how bout adding money for each time he rejects something or has negative things to say.
That should bring in some revenue too.
So Mr & Mrs Brighteyes, have you any SERIOUS ideas? Everyone is hurting and when "ideas" or "proposals" are thrown out everyone is against everything.
No No No, but you all still want your streets fixed, roads plowed and salted, water mains & electrical lines repaired but you dont want to cough up anything else. You cant have it both ways. Something or someone has to give somewhere.
Who asked for these ideas? Council?
Someone had to go to the officials for ideas so dont shoot the messengers.
You said council rolled their eyes? Of course they would, if they side with any of these ideas there goes their seat come re-election. No one wants to be the bad guy. A lot of these things should have been done years ago when the economy was in better shape and done in small increments where it would not have made such a big impact.
Well does Wolverine make a good point? Wolverine just might be another JT? I wonder how Wolverine will feel when he starts paying his share of another failed city idea? AMP-OHIO?
Wolverine the bad guy will be the person or persons that makes the city and schools tighten their belts. That's when the attacks start. I don't know if there is anyone even willing to take what's coming down the road? Seems like our Governor is getting blamed for everything. Maybe if our new Governor talked with Governor Christ of New Jersey we might have an answer.
I have always believed in unions but what we have here in Painesville is a Monopoly that leaves residents no where to turn and most of the people in charge have spent their whole careers in one government job or another.
how do we find out if council is going to have another work-shop for the budget. how do we find this information out? anyone have an answer to this question? A VERY, VERY, CONCERNED CITIZEN
have council check to see how many tax-exempt properties there is in our city. and then see if these said properties could be converted to be tax assessed, like all of us homeowners have to do. ANOTHER VERY CONCERNED RESIDENT
What or who is JT?
And again I ask, are there any "SERIOUS" ideas as to how to remedy this situation?
The city is broke, the state is broke, the Feds are broke, what should be done? First as a city and then for the a country?
If you don't have logical suggestions then you shouldn't open your mouth with stupid answers.
Serious responses only need answer.
Wolverine You know you can start your own Blog.? I'll run this one.
Yea, Term runs this one don't say anything he does not like or he might not post it
One Major Issue not touched-on at this last work Session.
Pain'Ville Notes. What is a note: it is a Debt - It is a liability, it is Accounts Payable. This is no different than what all of us pay for our house/car/utilities etc.
Constant Yes Votes to; Flip/Flop and extend this Debt because RM states it is at a lower Interest Rate.
Ho Ho to YOU RITA. You have taken the BIG DEBT of Painesville City and Sold IT to Others for a Reduced Interest Rate. You have done this for over 4 Years PLUS. The Longer You Stretch Debt; the more You will Pay in Interest Rates.
Rita M, you created all of the Debt, and all that you see as feasible is to extend it over and over and over again.
Rita M, you are not and have never been Educated in Finance.
Stop Pushing Debt INTO new long-term Avunues. We the PEOPLE have to shell out more money because of your lack of education/knowledge.
Council, Stop all of These Extensions. Do the Math.
If you have a 20 Year Mortgage and you refinance after five years: Your New Rate will be another 20 Years or 30 Years. If at 20 years, you have now lost 5 Years of Interest and you Have now
Started all over Again. This is what RM is Doing and shoving to this Cities Check Book.
Im not interested in my own blog. I have concerns with the bashing I see and hear all the time. A lot of talk and no action. I asked a serious question-
What should this administration do?
All I hear is griping with no solutions.
People, put your money where your mouth is.
And still didn't answer who JT is.
Wolverine bashing? As if anyone at city hall would ever listen. First off cut costs.Thats the main SOLUTION!
Second no money left, all we have is our mouths.
JT. was an early follower of the blog. and God Bless him he always tried to put a positive spin on everything.
If he was still posting he would tell us the fire at the senior center wasn't that bad, at least the building would have a new roof. He drove some on the blog nuts. Me?
You need afew of those people in your life.
6:07 I believe you hit the nail on the head. I guess your comment, true as it is might be considered by some as bashing?
Wolverine post all the comments you want, but remember the answers are to be found on the first and third Monday of the month,under the Golden Dome. Ask some questions maybe you'll get better results then some of us?
Term, I hope you don't mind but I feel like saying something to Wolverine. I'm not trying to overstep bounds, just responding to his last post.
Wolfie, I gave an honest suggestion. Re-read my 7:36 post.
I've been at council meetings and given suggestions and asked questions and only one person currently on council has ever had the decency to respond to those questions or answers. And let me tell you - it was not my councilman - it was Andy Flock (and, outside City Hall, Abby was decent to me). My councilman can't even be bothered to stop and talk to me from the sidewalk while I'm washing my car.
So if all you hear is "griping with no solutions", it might just be that these old dogs are sick of barking up the same old tree and getting no response. I'm not that old and I'm already getting sick of it. Aside from 4 years spent getting my college education, I've spent all of my 29 years here in Painesville.
As far as JT is concerned: "JT" is an online alias, much in the same way that "Wolverine" is. However, "JT" isn't that far off from their real name. How do I know? (I bet you're wondering that) I've known JT for several years, they are of value to this community. Of that, I am positively certain.
I use my real first name on this board.
If you think you're worthy of answers about people who have been here longer than you have, perhaps you should give us a clue as to who the heck you think you are.
Wolverine, I believe we have been discussing a viable solution to our city being trashed for so many years by Hada, McMahon and their gang. We have been discussing a new form of government for our city. One that lets the citizens hire and fire (vote in and vote out) our city leader. That would be a very good start.
To 6:07: Yes, I was having a conversation about the water treatment plant a while back. I became confused because a debt for improvements had been refinanced so often that I think it was 10 or 15 years later and it had just been refinanced again. It's insane. You can't successfully run a home, a city or anything else with that kind of bookkeeping.
As an aside: Could we just ignore Wolverine? He's just another really big pain in Painesville.
Wolverine wants us to put our money where our mouth is. Number 1, what in the world does THAT mean under this context and, Number 2, we don't have any left. Hada and McMahon keep losing millions of our dollars, over and over on different mistakes. You'll have to ask them if THEY have any money left. The citizens happen to be fresh out.
Something to discuss at the next council meeting in regards to generating revenue, maybe you should inquire why Painesville City Schools don't pay for false alarms to their buildings. I heard they are the biggest abusers in the city, but pay nothing. I'm sure Hanlon could loosen up his many expense stipend accounts and throw a few dollars the city way. Also, ask Rita why the city covers the entire salary for the officer at Harvey, apparently again, we are the only city in the area that does it. Hmm, maybe two former city school employee and the significant other of a former city school board member members on council..and well lets not forget..Hal..who drives a city school bus, might have something to do with that.
Another To Wolverine....did you notice the black and white "NO $" signs around town before the last election? I'd have to say someone took some action and put out some cash to make a statement. (I had two in my yard...corner lot) A thorough discussion before taking action of any kind is vitally important in making good decisions. If our city leaders did that we wouldn't have half the problems that we do now. I, for one, prefer to have a say in it rather than letting events dictate to me. Please...join the discussion...change is inevitable.
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