Over at a less reputable trognonymous blog, the following argument is being made. Grammar and spelling have been left unedited, and if I had a crayon font at my disposal, I'd use it.
Our top priorities should be "paying down debt and rebuilding City Infrastructure" before spending TIF and EDIT Funds on:
(A long list of City Hall’s road construction, sidewalk rehab, street paving, street conversion and sewer projects is provided, with deputy mayor Carl Malysz cited as the source)
Our final thought is this...Before you "bought and paid" for Council members vote to raise sewer rates and do an EDIT Bond on residents for your so called: It's only a "wish list" you owe it to each RATEPAYER in Floyd County to explore any and all alternatives including TIF, CDBG and EDIT Funds before raising our sewer fees!
If the proffered list of projects doesn’t constitute infrastructure rebuilding, then what does?
Who decides?
Shouldn’t any sewer utility charge fees to cover its costs, and include an escalator to account for future inflationary increases?
Does it make any sense to use economic development monies to subsidize such a fee?
Shouldn't economic development monies be used as they were intended, and not as political markers to be traded by ward heelers?
Just curious. I'd post these questions at the originating blog, but alas, the option of discussion is not offered there.
The diarrheal debate surrounding the who, how, and when of our wastewater is surpassed only by the gallonage of flatulence flowing through the system on its way to the Ohio River.
ReplyDeleteFortunately most of the latter enters said river as clean potable water.
Unfortunately, the conversation never varies. It's an exemplfier of perpetual motion going nowhere.
The Sewer Department is the only city owned entity that generates an income and as such should be an asset that can support itself.
Ours cannot because (A) Our rate structure has not kept pace with the economy over the past three decades, (B) The monies generated by said entity have been used for expenditures outside of itself, and (C) The infrastucture has been held hostage for the political benefit for any and all who were running for office during the same time period.
King Larry left office in January thumping his chest because the Sewer Departmant had received (during his tenure) a letter from the EPA giving New Albany a clean bill of health for the first rime in at least three adminstrations.
However, to my knowledge the contents of that letter have never been published for public perusal in its entirety.
That oversight , be it intentional or otherwise, has led to more speculation,accusation, and confusion than it laid to rest.
Does it say that the city is off the hook for until the next millineum or rather that we've been granted a reprise on condition that we complete in a timely fashion the projects that hve been approved but aren't yet finished.
The fact that none in either the administration nor the council can or will answer these questions cause me to ask.
Do you Know? If not, why not?
Do you care? If not, why are you masquerading as a public servant?
I will agree 1000% that the dollars generated by the Sewer Department should be used exclusively for operating, maintaing, and upgraded that infrastructure as needed.
I will argue for the necessity incremental rate increases to stay current with economic evolution.
If the Council's goal is to insure those outcomes, then it behooves them to bite the bullit and pass legilsation the will cause such to happen.
To hamstring an administration by hamstringing the Sewer Department will do nothig but ensure the return of the EPA and long term cause user rates to become astronomical.
I had a gentleman stop by the house today asking me to sign a petition to prevent the increase in rates.
ReplyDeleteI politely declined and he was very nice about it. In fact he didn't ask any questions or press me at all, it makes me wonder if he wasn't just a "helper" sent out by someone else.
also to be fair, shouldn't the blog mentioned above have listed Price's and Coffeys place of gainful employment as well as phone number? oh wait...
ReplyDelete