Did anyone notice that as soon as the mayor thought he had voted in favor of the transit increase (which I fully support), he thought the next vote was on that very subject?  He said, "now we vote on the fee increase, right?"  The city manager's response was "we just did."   My question to him is what did you just vote in favor of?  He also broke one of the council's rules by responding to Ruderman.  The city manager had just told the council that passing the tax levy at the current rate, employees would be laid off, and that next years budget was going to be 4.5 million in the hole!  Several council members mentioned layoffs in their bantering.  What was Ruderman to do?  Some of his members WILL be laid off, and firefighters and citizens WILL be in danger!  Across the board cuts have been mentioned.  The mayor saying that firefighter layoffs hadn't been mentioned is crazy.  Check out the Herald & Review web site and listen to the Jerry Dawson interview with Ken Lowe.  Police & fire are included!  The city manager's hands are tied.  He has to run the city responsibly.

This mayor and most of the council is a joke!  Popularity & money get you elected in this city.  It's no wonder people are moving from our city.

Those people are all GIVING their time - considering the time they give they make NOTHING.

And they were elected by a majority of the people who took the trouble to vote.  So they deserve our respect.   Just my opinion.

Here is some interesting info

http://www.ci.decatur.il.us:80/publicinformation/tax%20info%20chart1.png

http://www.ci.decatur.il.us/publicinformation/tax%20info%20chart2.png

Sue

I have not watched the meeting yet but sounds like I should. 

The tax rates are way ourt of wack!  The Park District is getting %12 of the money.  The City gets %14 how in the world does this make sense?  The park District is a fat cat and needs to go on a diet.  So how does someone go about changing this?  I vote the Park District takes a cut or they combine with the City and the City expenses come first. I have a better time understanding the County since they do have quite a few miles or road but they may even be getting more than they need.  The county needs to learn from the Park District and get all their land and building donated to them instead of paying for epensive buildings.

So whats procedure in getting the money to the City from the Park District and County?  I know it would be a huge hill to climb but I am up for the climb.


Matt so whats up about the closed meetings?  They better be figuring out how to get on the same page as McCrady.  I belive that our new CM has a better handle on things than Gaman ever did, which is pretty evident so far.  I like the transparancy he has brought to this town.  He is a man that belives this town is the citizens town and he wants us to know whats going on and when  it going on.  In my opinion he demonstrates more integrity than the previous CM and Company. When did our past CM'S ever ask for the citizens input and actually make decisions based on them. I  love the City website which is awesome.  Facebook was impressive also, I asked for a pie chart showing where our tax money went and within hours I was directed to the City Website and wallahh there it is.  Sue posted the links already.

I am impressed with the city getting the pie charts up so fast.  Thumbs up!  I'd be interested in comparing the costs of running the city vs. the park district.  I'm a big supporter of the park district, as well as the macon county conservation district, so I'm probably a tad bit biased.  I think we have an excellent park district.  It could be improved on for sure but they really focus on quality of life issues for residents while the city focuses on less sexy issues like infrastructure, police, fire... The park district also has the airport to manage.  That's kind of a money pit.  I just don't want an appointed board making the decisions for our parks and their programs.  I want people who can be held directly accountable by the voters.  It would be nice if more informed voters showed up to vote in the future though!

Kris

I agree – I think there’s definitely a noticeable generational difference in the management and information-dissemination styles of the CM.  In years past, I know staff was chomping at the bit to get some of this technology deployed.

It’s a bit of a random thought, but hopefully the council will get on the ball and use the Comcast Cable money (exclusively reserved for council chamber technology improvements) soon, and we’ll start getting better audio.

Doug – I think consolidating the park district is a general election cycle vote.  It’d be a petition to get the question on, then the question, then if it passed some funky process to actually do the consolidation…it’s my guess it wouldn’t be all that different from school district consolidation.

Big Fish – I agree with you in that I thought a modest increase in property tax really was necessary, but I disagree with you that it police and fire staff will absolutely be cut.  In some way their operating budgets may be affected – you’re right – but let’s wait for the department budgets to come out before accusing…

Also, did you notice how the council glossed over the small increase in property taxes by talking about the rate?  Last year, the council made a big deal about levying an amount rather than a rate…

Another busy morning!!!

Doug, I don't always agree with your comments, but you hit the nail on the head about the Park District. Everyone always attacts the city about taxes, but the city is only a part. The dialy newspaper is the worst of all. I have never read an editoral from them telling the school district to cut taxes, or cut school staff or take a pay cut, or lay off people. Ditto for the Park District. Why is that? Can anyone explain that? Also, we pay taxes to the Sanitary District. Do they have a board or council? If so, who do they report to? It's not the city. I have never read any article in the newspaper about the sanitary district in the entire time I have lived here, except when they were going to sell water somehow.

Also, I was looking at the local tv station web site, and down at the bottom they have a link to the Champaign newspaper. You can click on the results of the investigation in Champaign of the fatal shooting of that teenager during a struggle with two police officers. You can form your own opinions after you read it rather than hearing from some of the groups making statements.

Gilda

This is off topic but I just wanted to invite everyone to the Ravina/Home Park Neighborhood meeting for tonight (Thurs. Dec. 10th).  Rep. Bob Flider will be speaking.  This meeting is open to the public.  And I know it's cold outside but it's Winter.  It's supposed to be cold.  Come out anyway! 

For more info:  www.ravinahomepark.org or visit our Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=60248150518

The directions to the church are on both sites.

I just watched the Council meeting from the 7th.  In reference to the Mayor and Ruderman exchange I  think the Mayor has a point.  I don't think it was fair to be blaming a death on the council because of the tax freeze.  If that were the case the guilt should be at my feet also, I didn't want the tax increase either.  I understand what Ruderman's job is, and he probably does it well, or they would vote him out, but to put the City Council in a position of feeling guilt because they did what I would guess the majority of house owners in this town want just isn't right.

Gilda, is the Park District some kind of Mafia Family lol?  Why hasn't anyone fought against the money they receive while the City continually struggles.  Its really time to start  getting some of these taxes in line.  So does the Park District have a budget in print like the City does?.  You can have the best  parks in the world, but if no one has jobs, and the town is declining whats the purpose, I don't buy the tourism answer either because I am not talking about the golf courses or the zoo.  I am totally against the City giving the Park District any money for the purposed Lake Beautification Project.    

In our meeting with Rep. Flider it was pointed that the city has far more sources of revenue than the park district does.  Property tax is just one on them. There's also food & beverage taxes, sales taxes, utiliity taxes, etc.  I can't even remember all of them but I think it's close to a dozen sources of revenue for the city.  The park district, and the school district for that matter, only has property tax revenue from Decatur's residents.  The park district does get revenue from their golf courses, programs and other facilities too but as far as taxes go, it's just the property tax.   The schools also get funding from the state but no sales taxes.

As far as the lake development goes.  I'd prefer most of it be funded with private money.  I don't want to see the city spend ungodly sums on it either but we're going to have to spend  some money upfront first to attract private developers.  That's the stinky part about being in any kind of business.  You have to spend money to make money.  It may seem trivial to focus on the lake and tourism.  I know most of Decatur rolls their eyes at the thought of tourism in Decatur but it's for real.  Tourist do come here.  Just like we drive over to Springfield to the Lincoln sites or to Champaign for the sporting events.  People drive from other cities to come to Decatur too and if they see an awesome place to visit at our lake, or in our downtown area, etc., they'll come back and more than that, some might just consider living here, and even better than that - expand or plant a business here.   It's all part of the big picture.

Jobs come to places that have a healthy, progressive environment.  They don't relocate or invest in cities out of pity.  They want to know success is possible here and that the quality of life is good enough to attract workers and customers. 

Hey Kris – hopefully this is my last busy week of the year (and for a while)...I'll remain gainfully employed – just not run off my feet!!!

 

The stuff Bob mentioned is true – and they are reasons that contribute to my I thinking that some consolidation would be a good thing...I'll write a longer paper on it when I have time, but essentially, I believe there are both fixed and variable overhead expenses being incurred that are unnecessary in the 21^st century. When the government ran on paper, and all documents were snail-mailed, and filing systems were only as good as the secretary’s memory, redundancy, and overlap – and a bureaucracy (in the true sense of the word!) were necessary - and understandable.

 

There is a difference between process and bureaucracy, though. Technology has, for better or worse, brought us closer together as communities and individuals. Government, which exists to serve as an instrument of the people, no longer needs to be a bureaucratic service, it could evolve into an smaller collection of efficient, service-and-process-oriented pools of public resources...

 

Ok, back to work – before I really start getting into the nitty gritty of it!

I'd like to see your thoughts on it Matthew.    Have you all checked out the cool stuff on the city website?  GIS - it is just chocked full of info.  And they are working closely with County.   Cono is trying to work with them and add even more info.  City staff and volunteers have been walking OKO to add additional info on the actual condition of properties.  Hopefully this will expand to the other neighborhoods. 

Kris - I hesitate to support anything until I have real info - but I agree on Lake front stuff and all of Decatur - you gotta spend money to make it.  Wev'e discussed things before like that water park in Bloomington.  And that goes for improving our neighborhoods as well.  But dang it we are going to be short, even on basics I think.  While I understand that money that comes from tourism is free money I also believe it is most important to keep our focus on making Decatur a great place to LIVE not just visit.  Cause long term that is what we REALLY need - more great residents.  That helps our school district too and that way WE grow the tax pie.  (wow I sound a republican :)

Also regarding the lake front development (I think you and I have real similar opinions here) I support doing stuff to improve this area but  it's very important to me that the land stays public.   When you think about it - not that much of lake Decatur shore line is public.  Most is private.  I don't want the public to lose ANY of it.  That doesn't mean no private involvement.   Just keep the land and the control in public hands.

Matthew, I'll eagerly await to read your thoughts!

Sue, I'm not supporting anything yet until I see it.  I think I have an idea of what they're proposing but nothing has been officially released yet.  I'm totally opposed to residential development in Nelson Park or any of the land becoming private property.  And for me, the improvements are less about tourism than they are for us living here.  It improves our quality of life - depending upon what development goes there.  But like you, I'm withholding support until I actually see something in black & white. 

On a different note:

Does anyone know how to find out what bank owns a foreclosed property?  A house near me has been vacant for a while and there are windows left open.  They've been open for months.  The drywall and everything else is going to be totally trashed inside if it stays like that all winter.  The owners haven't been around in over a year and they kicked out the renter because I guess the house was being foreclosed.  We don't know what's going on.  I'd really like to contact someone who has control of the house and have it taken care of.  We mowed the lawn most of the Summer for free.  We cleaned up the leaves too.  No one ever comes around to check on the house.  Do I call the city or the county or what?