Illegal Loans/Transfers--Fact or Fiction?
For those residents already struggling to make ends meet, it’s tough to imagine the cost of living in IRB getting much higher. But, when your TRIM notice lands in your mailbox, that’s when the rubber meets the road and imagination turns to reality.
At the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 22nd, all five commission members voted unanimously to hike next year’s millage rate (property taxes!)—well above last year’s rate and even higher than the millage rate recommended by the Acting City Manager. One Commissioner, Bert Valery, even suggested a rate .2 higher than the approved tentative rate of 2.2! Would someone please mind telling me where my thinking has gone astray--
IRB, at past millage rates, has had enough money in the General Fund to be able to “prop up” both the Sewer/Solid Waste Funds, for who knows how many years, to the tune of well over $1 million. Assuming that Sewer/Solid Waste rates will now be hiked enough for both of these enterprise funds to now be self-supporting, no additional loans will be needed from the General Fund for those purposes. Shouldn’t that mean that we have just “freed up” an additional $300,000 per year in the General Fund to run the City, even if the millage rate remained flat?
Is anyone else (except me!) starting to think that the reason no good answers have been provided for how these transfers/loans occurred is that they DIDN’T HAPPEN AT ALL? Maybe that’s why the audit reports for the past so many years didn’t mention a problem—because there wasn’t one? Could this “oh-no-we’re-nearly-bankrupt” scenario have been contrived in order to bilk IRB residents out of additional tax dollars to pay for librarians, library expansions, protect the sea oat signs, useless Gulf Boulevard planning studies—and a bunch of other equally unnecessary “crap”?
We’ve all patiently waited for answers for months now. None came. My request of the City to provide the date and amount of the first transfer from the General Fund to the Sewer & Solid Waste Funds has been virtually ignored. If we, as taxpayers, can’t get answers that make sense, perhaps it’s time for the State of Florida to try its luck. I, for one, am hoping that former Commissioner Coppen lives up to his word and has already done the dirty work.
Nancy Obarski
708 Beach Trail, #B
For those residents already struggling to make ends meet, it’s tough to imagine the cost of living in IRB getting much higher. But, when your TRIM notice lands in your mailbox, that’s when the rubber meets the road and imagination turns to reality.
At the City Commission meeting on Tuesday, July 22nd, all five commission members voted unanimously to hike next year’s millage rate (property taxes!)—well above last year’s rate and even higher than the millage rate recommended by the Acting City Manager. One Commissioner, Bert Valery, even suggested a rate .2 higher than the approved tentative rate of 2.2! Would someone please mind telling me where my thinking has gone astray--
IRB, at past millage rates, has had enough money in the General Fund to be able to “prop up” both the Sewer/Solid Waste Funds, for who knows how many years, to the tune of well over $1 million. Assuming that Sewer/Solid Waste rates will now be hiked enough for both of these enterprise funds to now be self-supporting, no additional loans will be needed from the General Fund for those purposes. Shouldn’t that mean that we have just “freed up” an additional $300,000 per year in the General Fund to run the City, even if the millage rate remained flat?
Is anyone else (except me!) starting to think that the reason no good answers have been provided for how these transfers/loans occurred is that they DIDN’T HAPPEN AT ALL? Maybe that’s why the audit reports for the past so many years didn’t mention a problem—because there wasn’t one? Could this “oh-no-we’re-nearly-bankrupt” scenario have been contrived in order to bilk IRB residents out of additional tax dollars to pay for librarians, library expansions, protect the sea oat signs, useless Gulf Boulevard planning studies—and a bunch of other equally unnecessary “crap”?
We’ve all patiently waited for answers for months now. None came. My request of the City to provide the date and amount of the first transfer from the General Fund to the Sewer & Solid Waste Funds has been virtually ignored. If we, as taxpayers, can’t get answers that make sense, perhaps it’s time for the State of Florida to try its luck. I, for one, am hoping that former Commissioner Coppen lives up to his word and has already done the dirty work.
Nancy Obarski
708 Beach Trail, #B
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5 comments:
Things that make you go HMMMMMMMMM?
Would our dearly beloved elected officials and staff lie to us just so they can fund their pet projects? HMMMMMMMM, raise everyones fees and taxes just so we can have an obsolete library and other nonesentials?? Lets hope that someone blows the wistle on this BS, lets hope that Jose is a man of his blog.
Jose is part of the problem. If hehad known anything at all parlimentry procedure and could have for one moment forgotten his blood feud with Okunzzi he would have voted with Okunzzi instead of his three, cronies (Valery, Johnson and Wollin) who are now screwing things up big time. Okunzzi was the only one who voted against the type of financial nonsense now going on. Bring back Leo's "Triumberant" (Carmody, Palamara and Ockunzzi) and they will get answers to the questions, just like they did when Steve Andrews was fired, rehired, fired, resigned. It wasn't pretty, but it was effective and everyone new the truth when it was over.
We voters have screwed up big time: elected Jose whose mission was to search and destroy anyone who disagreed with him; then Valery and Wollin whose missions are pet projects, hirger density and more spending.
These are unfortunate times in IRB. It has been reported that based on the evaluation of our current auditor, the sleight of hand on our finances have been going on since 2001. And how do our leaders react? They penalize the people. They have released the offenders, and held the people of this community accountable. Where is the call to action? Why are they not calling for an investigation of the city managers and treasurers that have held those positions since 2001? Perhaps they need authority from Action 2000 or some higher power? Whatever the case, the lack of action speaks loudly. Who is really making the decisions and pulling the strings here in IRB?
I wonder how the fan clubs like the people they elected now or are they still listening to them thinking "boy the last people really screwed things up in our little town and I am glad my friends are going to save us"......You poor brainwashed suckers, go to a meeting, open up your eyes and brains....then try and think for yourselfs.
The only one on the commission that seems to be trying to think things through and decide what is for the good of the city and not a special interest group or fan club is Torres.
Although a surprise, thanks to Cookie for the no vote on the library board.
Four things will happen under this commission. All of which will drive us all to the poor house. A new library. The adoption of the A2K USF study. Higher taxes. Higher taxes.
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