How to Push Through a 60% Increase
We have some really smart people in this town. I came to that conclusion seated in a folding chair in the IRB City Hall Auditorium at the August 28th Commission Meeting. I watched citizen after citizen approach the microphone and cogently explain his/her outrage over the proposed 60% rate increases in our sewer and garbage rates. These weren’t just “venting” irrational statements, but a string of facts, figures and cites of law that apparently fell on deaf ears.
The rate increase sailed through—5 to 0—as predicted. Once again, no explanations were given and no answers provided as to how $1.1 million of our tax monies were “loaned” to the Sewer and Solid Waste Funds, over a period of years, without the required City Commission approval. Only Commissioner Torres, the new kid on the block, expressed any interest whatsoever in getting at the truth.
Citizens made the following points:
--Rising costs in IRB are forcing people out.
--IRB doesn’t have a budget problem; it has a spending problem.
--Notice to the public was improper; keeping the amount of the increase from the citizens was unconscionable and in conflict with the spirit of the Florida Statute requiring such notice.
--The Solid Waste Fund shows only a 10% deficit over a few years yet the increase approved was 60%.
--The City is operating illegally by loaning monies between funds--loans that have gone over 12 months, without commission approval and without a required referendum vote.
--The reserves in the Sewer/Solid Waste Fund were apparently spent which violates our City Charter.
--The commission recently re-upped the City Auditor’s contract for another two years, yet they now claim their information was flawed, choosing instead to rely on information of an auditor who "just happened" on the scene.
--New sewer and garbage rates include repayment of $1.1 in unauthorized loans/transfers with no legal evidence to support this requirement.
All five commissioners voted FOR the 60% increase. None asked for an investigation into what and who brought this town to its financial knees. The fear of many citizens is that monies are being amassed to afford library expansion, improvement of parks and other non-essentials at a time when our citizens are financially challenged. If there was ever a time to get involved in your local city government, that time is NOW.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
We have some really smart people in this town. I came to that conclusion seated in a folding chair in the IRB City Hall Auditorium at the August 28th Commission Meeting. I watched citizen after citizen approach the microphone and cogently explain his/her outrage over the proposed 60% rate increases in our sewer and garbage rates. These weren’t just “venting” irrational statements, but a string of facts, figures and cites of law that apparently fell on deaf ears.
The rate increase sailed through—5 to 0—as predicted. Once again, no explanations were given and no answers provided as to how $1.1 million of our tax monies were “loaned” to the Sewer and Solid Waste Funds, over a period of years, without the required City Commission approval. Only Commissioner Torres, the new kid on the block, expressed any interest whatsoever in getting at the truth.
Citizens made the following points:
--Rising costs in IRB are forcing people out.
--IRB doesn’t have a budget problem; it has a spending problem.
--Notice to the public was improper; keeping the amount of the increase from the citizens was unconscionable and in conflict with the spirit of the Florida Statute requiring such notice.
--The Solid Waste Fund shows only a 10% deficit over a few years yet the increase approved was 60%.
--The City is operating illegally by loaning monies between funds--loans that have gone over 12 months, without commission approval and without a required referendum vote.
--The reserves in the Sewer/Solid Waste Fund were apparently spent which violates our City Charter.
--The commission recently re-upped the City Auditor’s contract for another two years, yet they now claim their information was flawed, choosing instead to rely on information of an auditor who "just happened" on the scene.
--New sewer and garbage rates include repayment of $1.1 in unauthorized loans/transfers with no legal evidence to support this requirement.
All five commissioners voted FOR the 60% increase. None asked for an investigation into what and who brought this town to its financial knees. The fear of many citizens is that monies are being amassed to afford library expansion, improvement of parks and other non-essentials at a time when our citizens are financially challenged. If there was ever a time to get involved in your local city government, that time is NOW.
Nancy Obarski
Beach Trail/IRB
2 comments:
IRB is a microcosm of what happens statewide as well as nationally within the US today. People are unwilling, lazy or just plain too stupid to find out what’s really going on. Is America getting dumber? No I don’t think so, but I do believe we are getting lazier. It’s easier to reap the wealth or hard work from the backs of others than doing it yourselves. Seeing the many lawyers out there advertizing will tell you that. We never want to take responsibility ourselves. When we look at what this town wanted in the last election, we got it. We didn’t want hard working, smart people who would discuss the issues, no matter how difficult and put forth decisions on behalf of the community. No, that’s not what we wanted. We wanted people to just get along on our commission. That’s what we got. They get along with their decisions for the library. They get along with their decisions to adopt a USF study. They get along with their decisions to raise taxes more than in any time in the history of IRB. They get along with no advertising, no notice, no communication and no thought. They don’t argue, debate, inquire, research, listen, or any of that. That might bring forth a difference of opinion, a thought, and that’s not what we wanted. There’s nothing worse than an uneducated voter, especially ones who vigorously back someone or concepts without specifics. Dumber? Not sure. Lazier, yes. We got what we wanted in IRB. Change. My greatest fear is that these same people will be voting in the general election for president. If it’s change they want, believe me, that’s what they’ll get!
An educated voter
Amen to commenbts by "educated voter."
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