In an effort to help fill the city's $2 million financial gap for street maintenance, the City of Eugene may levy taxes on Eugene homes and businesses based on everything from their property value to the amount of garbage that they generate.
" "If we don't solve the problem now, it just gets worse," said City Councilor Alan Zelenka, a member of the council committee. "
The committee, in a year-long effort to figure out how to get more money to repair streets considers as an example...
A garbage surcharge was suggested for the wearing tear of the trucks on city streets [like buses]
Attendees included Councilors Chris Pryor and Jennifer Solomon
Fourth Counselor Bonnie Bettman who was not present at the meeting and withheld support however, preferred a "commuter tax".
" PROPOSALS' ESTIMATED PRICE TAGS
City's cost estimates for the proposals:
10-year local option levy,
$6 million: 38 cents per $1,000 of property value, or $67 for average home
Garbage hauling fee,
$1 million: 5 percent surcharge added to bills (about $1 more a month for customer with 32-gallon garbage cart)
Gas tax,
$2 million: Raise city gas tax to 8 cents, up 3 cents
Fee for street lighting and bike paths, $850,000: No individual estimate, but fee could be imposed on all occupied residential and commercial properties
Fee based on property's parking capacity,
$6.2 million: No individual estimate yet"
Left pocket, Right Pocket…
Keep squeezing and there won't be any blood left in these turnips!
I wonder how "successful" cities manage funding?
4 comments:
Hmmmm....Isn't it interesting how a few determined children can raise $5000 in 6 hours without forcing anyone to give up money for nothing;
YET- our educated, adult figure heads spend a year talking about it and still haven't come up with one plug nickel for the budget.
I learned a long time ago that if something doesn't work - quit it! There are surely other ways to gather funds besides taxing citizens to death or into the poor house, whichever comes first. And to see a raise defended for any public official just makes me madder. I don't care if it was 1% or 6%, until the county is rolling in extra funds NO ONE should get a raise.
Saturday I received about a twenty minute survey on the phone asking for my opinion on how the City is doing financially and how I would support the building of a new City Hall. Needless to say I gave them about a D- on fiscal responsibility and a big thumbs down on a new City Hall. If they don't have the money for street repair, how are they going to build a new facility. And why are they constructing new fire and police facilities all over town and then still insisting they need more?
Think it's time we start doing some Eugene city councilor recalls.
my theory is that they think that we are all tremendously wealthy and that we are just one big money tree just waiting to be picked.
what ever happened to "no taxation without representation"?
Of course, in the 21st century if we try to do a Boston tea party type scenario, the environmentalists will be all over us and some crazy groups would form chatting "it's Uncle Sam's money and you don't have any right to it"
next thing you'll know, you have human sacrifices, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria (Ghostbusters)
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