The commission adopted a tentative budget at the First Public Hearing on September 15. The Second Public Hearing will be on September 22. The legal notice/advertisement was in today's Palm Beach Post page A6.
- The proposed operating expenses are 7% more than last year.
- Every year under Mayor Pam Triolo, the commission has raised taxes.
- They have allowed more expenditures at our beach without raising fees which will show a deficit in our beach fund.
- They won't increase the electric rate even $1 a month thus forcing the city to dig deep into reserves because of an Ordinance they passed on getting parity with FPL. There are two more years to go on this unless they vote to change it. In the meantime, our savings is constantly challenged and depleted.
So what is your solution? Costs are up because the City has never invested in its infrastructure other than recently with the beach. Costs will continue to rise until you have reinvestment both public and private. So if you are managing this cracking dam what choice is there but to raise taxes and fees. It is so easy to say look at the City government raising taxes, those bad people, and then hurray for our guys they don't vote to raise taxes. But what is your plan so that doesn't have to happen?
ReplyDeleteGood question. What a phony trio we have.
ReplyDeleteThe solution is simple, anonymous--live within your means and not rob savings.
ReplyDeleteThe Feds didn't raise interest rates yesterday. Why? Because we have an economy that has not been growing. We are still in a precarious state of affairs. Let's bite the bullet. Oh, I forgot, you guys don't like that parody or concept.
Expenses will come out of the operating budget. The commission raised its spending without raising rates on certain funds. These two funds (beach and elec) were all POLITICAL. They had no problem raising fees on every business trying to operate within the city. They had no problem raising water rates, sewer rates or any other rate.
ReplyDeleteIf we have to rely on public/private partnerships to operate, then we need to call it a day. Right now. Don't waste a minute of precious time, and STOP taking from reserves. Trim it all down. Even the raises to employees was political although they deserved it. You gave whopping raises to top executives without blinking an eye. Disgusting.
#1 Quit allowing high density AFFORDABLE living to be built. We have way too much of it.
ReplyDeleteGet three new people into office that will stop picking the bones of this town dry. STOP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. Political crap instead of sensible solutions has got to stop.
ReplyDeleteWe have more AFFORDABLE HOUSING then we need. Its a shame that we have a City Manager that just doesn't get it. Some nice homes could be built
ReplyDeletein the west section that would help bring taxes in. All he can think of is getting rid of everything we have. I have seen where the city has demolished some houses and nothing else has been done.
Anonymous at 4:40, how do you get people to build nice houses in our western areas? Should the City build nice houses? What is the incentive to build nice houses for anyone privately when you can build a nice house in other areas that don't have crime, the streets are maintained and the surrounding neighborhood is equally as nice? Nice sound bite but please tell us how that is accomplished?
ReplyDeleteThe North West Section has some really nice homes and there are some local contractors that could be interested if they didn't have to jump through hoops for the City's boards and wait forever.
ReplyDeleteNot asking the City to build them, they should not be in the real estate business.
Yes I understand LAKE WORTH IS A SANCTUARY CITY, and that is too bad as the City Manager should have stood up and fought that.and that is one reason people wouldn't want to build or come here.