AGENDA 12-06-2016

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   Adkins: A valid question. Yes, we are out of room. Through the recession, we laid off people each year to balance the budget. 20 years ago we had 700 employees. We ended up by 2012 with 362 total employees and one person departments throughout the building.

Please tell us exactly when we had 700 employees.
Why would the city hire more people when overall income is down? A small increase in income tax will result from building AK Steel research and the gas fired power plant. But mostly temporary construction jobs and very few permanent new jobs will be created.  No other significant employers have come to Middletown therefore Moody’s downgraded us twice because the city can’t pay it’s bills. Anyway, extra income tax should be used for street repair or debt retirement instead of more employees or for renting unneeded space from cronies.

Adkins: Marty was planning AND zoning with no clerical support. Now we have a City Planner and a City Zoning Official.

If Marty was planning AND zoning with no clerical support it seems that he was doing two part-time jobs so why do we now have separate City Planner and a City Zoning Officials. These are less than part time jobs for which we will pay double and have to provide expensive benefits.

Adkins: The building inspection department was down to the Chief Building Official and his admin. Due to the resurgence in building throughout the city, we’ve had to add two building inspectors to keep up with the volume.

Please tell us where all this building is going on that required a 200% increase in building inspectors.

 Adkins: We are adding an Animal Control officer back into the budget in 2017. We are restoring resident services as quickly as the tax revenues allow.

Will this Animal Control officer make nearly $90,000 a year plus benefits like Liz Lucas? Rather than restoring “services” which the city can not afford with tax revenues which have yet to appear, why not live up to your fiduciary responsibility which is safety of the citizens and maintaining infrastructure?

 Adkins: Between the loss of the inheritance tax and the reduction in state support from the local government fund, the city now operates with $1.8 million a year less than it was receiving in 2010.

Also the loss of property taxes on downtown property given to non-profits. Also the property tax loss on the 400 properties torn down by the city. Also the loss of administrative fees for running the section 8 program. This says it all. Why is the city trying to find ways to waste our remaining tax dollars?

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whistlersmom Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MUSA Citizen Joined: Mar 11 2016 Status: Offline Points: 722	Post Options Post Reply Quote whistlersmom Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: Dec 21 2016 at 5:26pm
	Adkins: A valid question. Yes, we are out of room. Through the recession, we laid off people each year to balance the budget. 20 years ago we had 700 employees. We ended up by 2012 with 362 total employees and one person departments throughout the building. Please tell us exactly when we had 700 employees. Why would the city hire more people when overall income is down? A small increase in income tax will result from building AK Steel research and the gas fired power plant. But mostly temporary construction jobs and very few permanent new jobs will be created. No other significant employers have come to Middletown therefore Moody’s downgraded us twice because the city can’t pay it’s bills. Anyway, extra income tax should be used for street repair or debt retirement instead of more employees or for renting unneeded space from cronies. Adkins: Marty was planning AND zoning with no clerical support. Now we have a City Planner and a City Zoning Official. If Marty was planning AND zoning with no clerical support it seems that he was doing two part-time jobs so why do we now have separate City Planner and a City Zoning Officials. These are less than part time jobs for which we will pay double and have to provide expensive benefits. Adkins: The building inspection department was down to the Chief Building Official and his admin. Due to the resurgence in building throughout the city, we’ve had to add two building inspectors to keep up with the volume. Please tell us where all this building is going on that required a 200% increase in building inspectors. Adkins: We are adding an Animal Control officer back into the budget in 2017. We are restoring resident services as quickly as the tax revenues allow. Will this Animal Control officer make nearly $90,000 a year plus benefits like Liz Lucas? Rather than restoring “services” which the city can not afford with tax revenues which have yet to appear, why not live up to your fiduciary responsibility which is safety of the citizens and maintaining infrastructure? Adkins: Between the loss of the inheritance tax and the reduction in state support from the local government fund, the city now operates with $1.8 million a year less than it was receiving in 2010. Also the loss of property taxes on downtown property given to non-profits. Also the property tax loss on the 400 properties torn down by the city. Also the loss of administrative fees for running the section 8 program. This says it all. Why is the city trying to find ways to waste our remaining tax dollars?