During last nights budget hearing before the Wicomico County Council, VOICE - (Voters Opposed To Increased County Expenditures) - a taxpayer advocacy group suggested measures to help Wicomico County close its projected 30 million dollar budget deficit that is projected to occur over the next few years.
John Palmer - VOICE President offered suggestions to the Wicomico County Council to dramatically restructure to help close the budget gap deficit.
One of the measures requires the Wicomico Youth and Civic Center to be converted to a County Municipal Service Center which would save thousands of dollars of rent each month. Many of the Counties service centers would be housed in the converted Civic Center building. Currently, Wicomico County is renting numerous facilities including many of the County's Liquor Dispensaries.
Another proposed measure would be to lower the County Piggyback tax rate - (currently 60% the State's maximum by State law) - to the level it was back in 1998 when it was raised from 45%.
Upon conclusion of Mr. Palmer's proposed charter amendments - (see above) - the more than 250 in attendance applauded VOICE's proposed charter amendments.
24 comments:
GREAT IDEA about the Civic Center. I hope the county officials are listening. The county needs a better, more competetive Civic Center located somewhere else anyway.
Palmer's suggestions are mostly impossible or impractical (the Civic Center being a prime example), but another speaker suggested a cut that can be done immediately and save around $60,000 or so per year -- eliminate the "public information officer" position in Mr. Pollitt's office that he should have been cut as soon as he was elected.
Rick -- DO IT NOW!
Sounds like a good plan. Is anyone listening?
But lets go back to all "at-large" seats on the Council because we need the best and brightest to represent the entire County, not just their piece of the pie.
I can't believe that the County Executive has or needs a "public information officer." That nonsense should be stopped right now.
Don't miss this post about cutting the budget from earlier today:
http://sbynews.blogspot.com/2009/11/viewer-writes.html
4:47 - Why are these "impossible or impractical"?
Please explain. They sound like good ideas on the surface.
How does reducing the piggy back tax reduce the budget deficit. Usually it takes a tax increase and cuts in spending to rid yourself of a deficit. Kinda like getting a second job and also cutting back on how much you spend.
"Sound idea"?? So everyone in the county is going have to go the Civic Ctr. to buy liquor? The dispensaries are money makers not a cash drain on the county, that's why they fought letting them go private a couple of years ago. I can say that booze sales would tank if that plan was tried.
I guess Mr. Palmer is thinking that if we cut the piggyback tax back to 45% the needed revenue will "trickle down" to make up the deficit. lol
Re: 6:33
I can only speak for myself but I would rather have the piggyback tax in my own hip pocket as opposed to the governments.
You can bet your bottom dollar that I can find better ways to use the funds.
Can anyone else say "Ed Urban makes my skin crawl?"
6:24
Booze sales will not tank and you know it.
I will simply be able to get mine about 4 minutes faster.
You obviously live further away and therefore do not favor the plan.
But make no mistake, you will continue to buy it. Right?
Sacrifice my friend. Public sacrifice. It is a small price to pay.
You're saying the county should reorganize to cut costs but not to cut services. That won't work. Much of the cost of County government is determined by the services they deliver. Chopping a few jobs here and there won't make much of a dent in the huge deficit. Taxes have to be raised to deliver the services we have today. Or, slash services across the board to turn back the clock on costs. If we want the services we have to pay for them. Do the math.
How are these measures presented ways to save money? Special elections cost about 40k, the civic center would cost millions to renovate, the raises for the new teachers will cost money, and all at the same time he wants to lower the piggy back tax???????? How does this math work? Once again, just like when voice started, they have complaints but no real solutions.
Tax cuts work because they bring in new investments. People are reluctant to move here once they find out how huge the cost of living really is here. Look at history, tax increases cause the people being taxed to leave and income to drop. Tax cuts spur investment and bring in more money. Even Obama admitted that tax cuts bring in more money, he just said he was against them because they weren't "fair".
7:39
It doesn't have to work. The sheep that blindly follow VOICE's every words are to stupid to realise VOICE's claims won't work. Your right, it would cost $$$MILLIONS$$$ to renovate the Civic Center. And remember, VOICE's suggested Charter Amendments would require the eligible voters of Wicomico COunty to vote on the capital project expense that would fund this renovation/conversion of the current Civic Center. What does Wicomico County do if the voters vote NO???
An if the voters voted "yes", then you've got to find some private organization that is willing, let alone even interested, in finacing and building a multi-million dollar private 8,000-10,000 seat arena where the old mall once stood. NO WAY.
"sound plan"...only if you do not understand economics or real estate development.
You currently have a facility that generates econopmic activity and ,therefore, tax revenue.
Lets spend millions to convert it to a government building that will generate no revenue at all....great idea Mr. Palmer.
And and lets eliminate two council seats..lets see thats $32,000 toward the $7 million we need.
What a deep thinker.
I am so glad that I moved out of Wicomico County last year. I was paying more taxes and getting less.
That being said, the revenue cap, and that is what it is not a tax cap, was the final nail in the coffin. The county is the laughing stock of the Eastern Shore, and Voice is nothing but a bunch of sensationalizing loud mouths that only care about themselves and their personal business interests.
no..it was the final nail BY Coffin :-)
Response to 9:58
It's obvious - your on the public dole. Now go get a real job. The taxpayers have now wised-up.
On the dole not, I paid my CPA more last year than you have paid in taxes the last 10 years! However I still own property in Wicomico, and am feed up with all the money from the building boom being missed out on because of Coffin and his real estate friends protecting their own interests at the expense of the county citizens.
2:57
What building boom. Haven't you seen the construction reports. There is no building in Wicomico County. It's virtually vanished.
And now the people are starting to exodus because of the taxes. What don't you get, it's a no-brainer. The Government growth is the problem.
Except for some income tax, the county did not benefit from the building boom that occurred around here. Yes 4:37, it is over now, but there was a huge one. The money that would have come from the new mouths in the county to fund the services that would be required for them never made it to the coffers because of the cap. 2 percent is realized through reassesments alone. What this equates to is more mouths to feed with less money to do it. The guy even said at the meeting that income tax is way down because all the people with large incomes have moved out of the county, to Worcester etc. So tell me, how is there logic behind bringing more people into the county, and not being able to generate revenue to support them, let alone, the ones already here? I think voice just wants a nice place to buy and sell real estate. Makes a great sales pitch to someone contemplating a move here "hey and the best part is the tax rate will always go down!!!!! Sign right here". You people who think Voice is that great, your a bunch of dopes too. I mean who wouldnt vote for something that proposes virtually no taxes. That is unless you care about quality of life, and want your children to have a good education and a great community. Thanks alot Voice. BTW, your new proposed charter ammendments are short sighted, and aren't going to save the county any money. But people will probably go along with it because they are evidentally short sighted too. I mean now, they are belly aching about wanting to do away with the executive form of Govt, HELLO, they voted for it (not me) because Voice talked them into it. What is the point in having an executive that voters can place in office who doesn't have the ability to adjust the tax rate, or even leave it the same? That smart move cost the taxpayers atleast a million dollars, and the proposed charter ammendments will cost even more than that.
undermine
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