Print Page | Close Window

Balancing The budget

Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Middletown City Government
Forum Name: City Council
Forum Description: Discuss individual members and council as a legislative body.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3435
Printed Date: Nov 23 2024 at 1:45pm


Topic: Balancing The budget
Posted By: randy
Subject: Balancing The budget
Date Posted: Nov 03 2010 at 4:50pm

I think at last nights meeting some very important questions were raised by some council members concerning the balancing of our budget. Mainly the topic of the raising numbers when it comes to our police and fire departments.

 

The cost to run these departments is increasing, but we are not adding any new members nor are we being better protected. Why is that?? I can tell you why….we are being strangled by the union contacts and the yearly raises these departments are given.

 

Now don’t get me wrong I am all for police and fire, think they do a great job and wish we had more of them, but the cost is really hurting the city. And we still have drug dealing and hookers downtown. What gives??



-------------
Call me for a www.CameraSecurityNow.com" rel="nofollow - www.CameraSecurityNow.com quote 513-422-1907 x357


Replies:
Posted By: Hermes
Date Posted: Nov 03 2010 at 7:55pm
I've said it in other postings on here,police,firemen and teachers have no business being unionized.
 
Unions are a double edged sword and they are no good for representing "public employee's". These people are paid with tax dollars not income from some business. The union's also can set the rules for what these people do on the job. I've experienced first hand a police officer saying "thats not my job cause the union says so". (and no this was not a Middeltown officer)
 
As for hookers & dealers I don't think any town can rid themselves totally of the problem. Middeltown really seems to draw them in for some reason. Whether they come in from Dayton and Cincinnati I have no clue. I do know that once the hookers & dealers are gone from an area it's very nice and quiet,for a while.


-------------
No more democrats no more republicans,vote Constitution Party !!

Posted By: Molly
Date Posted: Nov 04 2010 at 8:37am
The first responsibilty of any government is to protect its' citizens. However, in times where the expenses far out-weigh the income, cuts need to be made. I believe in looking at the long-term stability of the city. Unions as well as management must look at the whole picture, not just now, but in the future. I think if unions give a little now, their long-term "health" will be protected. I also think that the voters will be more likely to vote for another Public Safety levy, seeing that the unions, indeed, are working for the stable economic position of the city. The city administration needs to show fiscal restraint as well. Be very careful funding questionable ventures. Don't allow the ED department to throw good money after bad by investing city funds into "private" developments. Also, drawing from reserves to "balance" the budget is never good. Sometimes when you things cannot get worse, they do. Have the reserves to overcome those times. JMO

Posted By: Paul Nagy
Date Posted: Nov 04 2010 at 9:20am
Molly,
       What sound advice you have offered. Let's hope that its followed. Thanks for posting it.
       Paul Nagy

Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Nov 04 2010 at 9:28am
Hermes  has a point about the pitfalls of unionization.  What we do in my business,  and many employees have to work this way, is be flexible -- to solve a problem or complete a project you may need to collaborate with other employees, tackle a problem differently, work an hour after your "shift" was supposed to end.  It seems fire/police do not do this sufficiently.  The police slog through their shift hoping they don't get a call on the radio, they head home at the first chance regardless of whether their issues or projects are solved, etc.   In other words, unlike other businesses there is no accountability for the end result or end product.  Obviously, police is a different kind of "service" and they are needed service of course, however, the union mentality creates a divide between effort and result.  Admittedly, part of this dynamic is a certain need for uniformity in procedures, but you get my point.

Posted By: spiderjohn
Date Posted: Nov 04 2010 at 10:28am
logical thinking, Ms.Molly
We were promised NO cuts in public safety staffing if we approved the public safety levy.
As you mention, public safety and infrastructure are the fundamental responsibility of local governments.
Micro-managing, subsidizing and creating private ventures are very speculative and rarely successful(not to mention expensive!). Participation in these ventures can only occur after the basics have been secured.
 
So--
we are looking at a collapsing sewer system in the Cincy St.area(not news-which is supposed to be accruing funds in an account that has been going for years. We need an update on how much has been collected into that account, how much stll exists, and how any of that funding has been used)
we need to know if/how street improvements will be financed and how those plans will be impacted
we need to know how we can afford to cut police/fire at a time when they cannot meet demand today
 
When I hear people like Ms.Moorman talk about needing a huge bag of $$ to finance these projects, just where does she think more $$ for her precious former downtown area will come from? Maybe we should drain the CVB fund for Cincy St.  Already approx. 1 million total in the PAC project, and similar to the Duncan land swaps despite no movement towards a rail stop. Serious over-payment for the alleyway cabinet shop and the pub/church adjacent to the Studio/Strand and various formerly downtown area demo projects(no one seems interested in our "shovel ready" sites).
 
City has already charged too many expenses to the budgets of future years. The public safety overtime costs charged to the next few years floored me. How many other similar charges are out there not made public to the citizens? These municipal employees come and go-- however we are always left with the bill/responsibility to clean up their messes and failed/incompleted projects.
 
And as mentioned--we will be trading property tax paying entities for huge concerns that will NOT pay property taxes, and require extensive public safety attention. Hard to see how the $$ figs will work without further mortgaging our future.
A bail-out to the Thatcher estate currently valued at 16 million while in probate.

Posted By: TANGO
Date Posted: Nov 06 2010 at 6:18pm
While the police and fire have got raises over last few years,nonunion employees have not had any. Also cuts have already taken place on the nonunion side. It's time the unions do their part to help the city .

Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Nov 06 2010 at 8:31pm
Can't wait to see how the next round of union negotiations go.  They better be ready to take 0-1% annual raises over a three year deal...at the maximum.


Print Page | Close Window