Last night's commission meeting was the Academy Award performance of all time. It was their do or die moment and was it ever a performance. Emotion wrung out as every commissioner had his/her turn to speak for the bond (4 commissioners) or against the bond (1 commissioner). The commission chamber was packed with their supporters.
Christopher McVoy, a scientist by profession, put on a Power Point on global warming in order to illustrate his concerns of spending $63.5 million as sea water rise could wipe away this long-term investment. Commissioner McVoy was not against the cost or fixing our roads, just the fact that nothing was being addressed towards global warming. McVoy has even been ridiculed in the local Lake Worth Herald for his stand on a very real issue but one that I thought would not really affect us for at least 200 years. I admit that I am totally ignorant on sea level rise. Commissioner Szerdi shot that down by saying if there were long-term concerns about this, then the casino would have been put on pilings. There are not too many elected officials worried about global warming (most all of them want to spend your tax dollars) as recently seen in 2005 by the Lake Worth Snook Island project costing over $18 million as one example and a project that is still costing money.
The debt they are asking voters to absorb was totally ignored by the entire commission other than the mayor saying she didn't like the idea of paying more taxes either. If you were listening to this for the very first time, those on the dais gave the performance of their lives in order to convince the voters to more taxes for thirty years. Scott Maxwell did say it was all about the future of our children and their children but never mentioned the debt that all of them would be straddled with believing that this is the only answer to save our city from ourselves and 50 years of neglect. As we are slowly coming out of the recession, not one commissioner believed that this could be a big burden on its residents some of whom are the poorest in Palm Beach County. "What does it say about Lake Worth when it doesn't invest in itself?" asked John Szerdi.
Not one "leader" talked about the massive debt and reluctantly admitted the true cost of this bond after asked on two occasions by citizen Peter Timm: $131,013,442.00 million. The percentage of the tax you will be charged changed last night as well due to our property values going up this year by 8.9%: During the first two years of this five year road infrastructure program, property owners will pay $1.66 per $1,000 worth of value, years three and four you will pay $2.33 and in year five the amount is $3.18. The numbers have been changing throughout this "sell" process.
Although they also mentioned this infrastructure process has been discussed off and on for over a year now in order to mitigate those who believe it is a "rush to action" and that the vote should be delayed, citizen Mark Parrilla said, "Let's leave it to the voters." And that will be the end of the Academy Award performance on August 26--To tax or not to Tax.
11 comments:
Leave it to the voters-like they did in the heights issue ? If the people of Lake Worth vote no on this, will the Commission just ignore ANOTHER vote by the people? It's almost like this commission is trying to drive business out of Lake Worth. Maxwell lied at the district one meeting ,saying that Lake Worth had no debt ! Is he just stupid? Does he really believe that? Has staff sold a bill of goods to these Commissioners? This money grab is really sad.
This was posted on Facebook and I think it's something we all need to consider:
Listen closely to the 20/20 Myths:
When you are trying to sell folks on voting themselves a major tax increase you have to get creative. You have to offer something the public will embrace because it his real hard to convince people they need to raise there own taxes.
1. If we don't go into debt to the tune of 63 million the city will fall off the cliff and crash and burn.
2. No other alternative financing will work. We need 63 million to save the city. Anything less will not be considered because we need 63 million and only that number will work.
3. Don't worry about the tax increase because we can pay this off early, We can borrow less, we can lower the millage rate to offset these bad taxes, we will have lots more tax money coming in. That sounds real good but the fact is there is ABSOLUTELY NO LEGAL REQUIREMENT that will force the city government to do any of that should things get better and our finances improve. Could this language be included in the bond referendum. Sure but that would force the commission to pay this off early or lower our millage when they would rather spend all that new money on something else. WE HAVE NO LEGAL PROTECTION THAT ANY OF THE PROMISES MADE BY THE COMMISSION WILL TAKE PLACE.
4. We will lower your millage rate as property values increase. This is the biggest myth. The city is completely dependent on utility revenue to survive. We pay the highest rates and also pay utility taxes of 10% on those rates to the city. This is because we collect only 5.5 million in taxes from our property and it takes 31 million to run the city. There is no way we can lower utility rates and lower the millage rate unless there is another land boom in the city. In reality the city is broke and living on utility income.
5. Don't worry about the fact that we are so poor and have to beg for money everywhere. Don't worry about a hurricane and the fact that we have destroyed our hurricane reserve fund. Don't worry that we don't have enough money to keep the pool open or provide basic services. We can afford to borrow 63 million because we have no other choice. We need to let everyone know we care about our city. This will make everyone want to live here So vote yes with no restriction on how we pay this back and trust your city to do you right. Just make sure you pay your taxes or we will come after you.
6. If you are too selfish to raise your taxes and chip in for this work you really don't love your city. Sometimes you have to get screwed for the good of all. It's not that bad, you can get use to the new taxes and eat one less meal a month.
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@ 9:30--all so true. Thanks for posting.
I didn't see this post till after I responded to the Myth Post:
Say we believe this commission will do what they say. We're 100 yrs old and this commission is just a blip on the screen really. To commit the next 30 years (our kids will pay?) to such a large debt on top of Gov Voodoo Math, "we collect only 5.5 million in taxes from our property and it takes 31 million to run the city" is more like a gambler making an investment at a roulette table in Vegas to me...that and for all the dates the clerk collected (on her own initiative?) that we have been 'told' what we are getting. Yes there was citizen input and I'd like to see it! For 4 of them to tell US it's their way or the highway is really really really wrong! We get 2 minutes (if we were ALLOWED to speak) @ meetings and ALL of this commission went on and on and on...I wondered if the VM was making a commercial for a run at Commissioner Vana's seat! It was an incredible performance w/near tears and all! They change the rules w/a 3 to 2 vote but if a Citizen disobeys they Pay! Wish those teeth could bite the butt of the bully that put on the play at the dais...imho
By year 5, I will be paying an extra $2,500/year, for the next 30 years! Well, not me exactly, I probably won't be here, but that's what I will be leaving my children, and grandchildren. That's a little more than a meal a month on my budget, but maybe I don't eat as high off the hog as our Commissioners do!
Say that property values do go up at a rate of 4% a year as finance has factored. Save Our Homes (homesteaded property) only allows 3%. So over the next 30 years, everyone could be paying tax compounded on tax and look forward to wild tax bills. Nothing says that they have to wipe out this bond debt with all the new found revenues that will be coming into the city due to just plain inflation. This is a money grab and we will never know any details. This is more than what they tell us because all they tell us is "We need to stop kicking the can down the road." Not good enough. Definitely not good enough for people to vote themselves into more debt.
Isn't Perilla a renter?
Get out and talk to you neighbors. People think yes new roads, we need them (which we do). But they have no idea that our taxes will be the highest in the county. They have no idea that only a small % of the city ends up paying for this. They have no idea that there is no cap on this bond repayment. They have no idea that the city has no idea what this will actually cost residents.
I have an idea, lets assess the Police, and Fire Pensions, $10.00 a month, and use the money saved in the Ad Valorm taxes, to do the 20/20 plan. And then everyone will Pay something, the Infustructer will get done, and then it does not have to go to the Voters, it is a Revenue Bond.
This Comission is at least identifying the problems, and letting the voters vote. You can vote YES or you can vote no.
I can't imagine why anyone who won't pay taxes for 20/20 would be against this idea.
WILD IDEA and illegal too!
And I totally understand why YOU don't get it anonymous at 1:32...altruism at its finest. Your selflessness at the expense of others is noted.
There is just way to much urgency here. Too much secrecy. I will not be voting for this. they need to get their heads together and come up with a plan that people will accept and afford. The problem as I see it is that no one trusts them with this much money. It is too easy to mess around with.
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