We’ve had approximately 5 weeks to digest the new tax levy referendum – which could cost you up to 67.5 cents per $1000 of the assessed value of your properties, yearly. The City Council promised at a workshop that they would educate the community. They put out a brochure that not everyone received, and that no one can understand. They’ve had John Skipper hard at work trying to convince property owners to tax themselves. The result is that 80% of the people I’ve talked to about this have either not heard of it or don’t understand it. They’ve done a terrible job educating the people.

Here are some facts:

• Your city government has almost $5 million dollars of your money in a “rainy day fund,” accruing interest.
• Of the Local Option Sales Tax – 40% of it goes towards street improvements, sidewalk repairs, etc., and 10% of that tax revenue goes to the General Fund – to be used by police, fire, airport, library, museum, etc. (millions of dollars)
• They’re in the process of reassessing all of our residential properties that will raise another $800,000 to $1 million annually

I don’t think saving money is on their agenda – I think spending it is.

For example:

• $435,000 on the parking lot west of City Hall in engineering and legal fees alone, on a project that has yet to be approved and voted on.
• $250,000 cash given to Younkers (Bon-Ton) to move their home store into the old movie theater.
• They bought a house on the 400 block of 1^st St NE (across the street from Mayor Bookmeyer’s residence) for $50,000 – put $100,000 into it – and it’s now for sale at $50,000.

Right there, folks, is almost $800,000 of waste. And I could keep going.

Vote no on Monday at the courthouse, or on Tuesday at your polling site. Don’t let 1000 people in our community decide this for you. Government loves it when you don’t care. Most of us have to live within our budget – let our City Government do the same.