Back by Popular Demand - Money

No wisdom here about the love of same being the root of all evil. Sorry. But if the calendar says the Durham Bulls are at the DBAP and Greg Fishel is atwitter over the heat index..... it must be budget season. And time to talk dollars and sense.

(click graphic for larger view)


First the dollars:

Morrisville leads the triangle in proposing a tax rate a whopping 19% above revenue neutral. Since the budget was unveiled last month, that number has not changed. There have been no adjustments made, no attempt to address taxpayer concerns of overspending. Of note:

The only road project in the 2009 budget: improvements to a small section of Morrisville-Carpenter Rd to the tune of $600k, with 7 year financing.

Proposed expenditures for General Government are $558k above the current year.

Proposed expenditures for Public Works are $1.4MM over current FY, but that includes a fire truck.

Proposed expenditures for Public Safety, with no new personnel, add $1.19MM to this year's spending.

Proposed expenditures for Engineering, up $170k.

Fire station #1 isn't what it once was and the money from the $5.7MM public safety bond has already been spent. (See Whadda ya mean you spent your lunch money) The additional money needed for the fire station, $3MM, 15 year finance

Now the sense:



Yes, that's a blank line. It's symbolic.

Sense would require taking a serious look at departmental spending and limiting increases to reasonable amounts. Not zero increases. Oh gosh no. I'm not at all in favor of reducing head count or services. I'm suggesting passing a budget that includes reasonable increases in spending.

Specifically:

As currently proposed, expenditures for General Government increase by 18%. Suggestion - limit the increase to 8%.

As currently proposed, expenditures for Public Works increase by 34%. Suggestion - limit the increase to 15%.

As currently proposed, expenditures for Public Safety increase by 17%. Suggestion - limit the increase to 8%.

As currently proposed, expenditures for Engineering increase by 33%. Suggestion - limit the increase to 15%.

Those reasonable spending increases bring us close to a revenue neutral rate. Most of our taxpayers will still pay a bit more this year than last. But at .37 per hundred dollars of valuation, our tax rate will be both competitive and fair.

Determine spending based on a tax rate instead of the other way around. Now there's a thought. And if that happens, we will have some of our money back. By popular demand.