July 31, 2010
Do you believe
Do you believe the the commissioners are going to spend $10,000,000 less in the upcoming budget? Why didn't they spend $10,000,000 less in last years budget? If the other four commissioners had listened to Larry Jarboe and adopted constant yield it would have saved the tax payers $6,000,000. Do you think if it were not an election year, the other four commissioners would make a press release reporting they were not going to spend as much this year? I believe that if it were not an election year, the four other commissioners would report to the papers the budget had increased and more spending was required and they just had to have more of your tax dollars. Please remember this on election day.
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Your right. As the election time nears, these ya hoos become Conservative. If they get re-elected, this Conservative facade is thrown back into the closet, and they will revert to their more comfortable state of mind and that is Tax And Spend.
I hope you folks have not been tricked by these ya hoos. I was not fooled.
I think that I have heard on the Channel 95 a request for a detailed list of what Mr. Jarboe and Rossignal want to cut. Havn't seen it yet! O' and Mr. Morris' list also.
Now for the rest of the story:
Actually, the State of Maryland has cut out ten million bucks to St. Mary's County. Two thirds of that is in grants primarily for human service programs with a loss of 12 grant funded positions. The other third is highway user fees that will not be distributed to the County.
In addition, there are five million dollars in cuts coming through department savings and a hiring freeze of a dozen employee positions (so far).
At present, the proposed budget has been reduced from nearly 200 million dollars to 185 million dollars. So, yes Danny, the cuts are coming and have to be done.
Even with these budget reductions, the fixed property tax rate will provide an additional 6.5% in revenues This is due to inflated State tax assessments. Is it right to charge an additional $170.00 on the average property tax bill, especially during this time of national depression?
To compensate for the unreasonable assessments the County Commissioners can maintain the Constant Yield tax rate. This means an additional 4.3 million dollars must be found in the proposed budget that is now down to 185 million dollars.
Here's my recommendation that has been presented through the budget process:
1) Cut our contracted administrative staff in half as was outlined in a 2003 proposal that was only partially implemented. 3/4 million in savings.
2) Cut politically motivated payments to special interest non-profits. 3/4 million dollars in savings.
3) Return the revenue stabilization reserve back to the taxpayers (it did not exist prior to the FY 2010 budget). 1 million dollars in savings.
4) Take 2 million out of the FY2012 $5.5 million fund balance and return it to the taxpayers through property tax reduction.
This equates to 4.5 million dollars of very reasonable reductions and tax returns to those who paid previously.
Ananymous did ask for Mr. Rossignol's budget cuts as well. He has published his recommendations in the present (April 10) copy of ST. MARYS TODAY.
Thank You.
Larry Jarboe
Mr. Jarboe,
1) Which contracted administrative staff personnel do you want to see cut?
2) Which special interest non-profit groups do you propose cutting politically motivated payments to?
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