OK, this is it. If February 2008 is typical for these expenses, we the taxpayers foot a $30,000 annual bill to keep city employees hydrated with coffee, water and soda. Just sayin’, if there is a city budget crisis–and it better be for them to even mention new taxes during an economic downturn–maybe people drink from the tap (we pay for water softener salt, too) and bring some of the refreshments from home.

We paid 17.50 per new employee for nice engraved nameplates from Nathan Winston Services. We sprang for pizza. Again, is this a crisis or not?!

I want you to know that I sacrificed the opportunity to mow the lawn today to bring this news to you. (The big dog and I had a really nice long walk this afternoon, though, as we tried to work off our winter/bloggers’ butts. Well actually just mine. What a perfect day.)

[I think Ivan's got a great handle on the big picture. I am reprinting comments he made earlier today in a separate post as they should not be missed. Also it makes it easier to send a link to the City Council. (Wink.)]

Here is some of my concerns. I like to be able to be able to count on things that I know. I’m not a great forecaster or predictor. This is my concern with the sales tax. It is all predicated on selling goods! 8% of zero is zero. Will this happen, I hope not, but it is very possible that we as a community will sell less than we did last year.

For instance and this is just me. My business locally had already purchased over $400,000.00 worth of materials [by this time last year] at 7.5% which is $30,000.00 in sales tax to DeKalb. As of today, only about $4,000.00 or at the new 8% tax rate, $320.00.

I had paid over $45,000.00 in payroll last year to this time and this year only $3,600.00 thus far. Subcontractors received over $350,000.00 by this time, this year, $52,000.00. The point of these numbers is that these employees would spend local dollars that they received locally. Anywhere from lunches, cigarettes, pop to groceries, night out, newer vehicles etc. I’m sure many have had to cut back on many of the things that they purchased last year during this time frame. Which anything bought would be sales tax for DeKalb. Read the rest of this entry

An alert reader of the city’s check register e-mailed me with a couple concerns over expenditures. One is about why the city pays for bottled water while requiring businesses to put in fountains. I went to look over that situation and am putting off adding up the cold beverage tab because I think it’s gonna make me madder than the coffee thing does.

This reader also reported that the city could be using a less expensive internet service.

I noticed something else. I really, really want to know what clear plastic hangers costing $236.00 look like but they’re for the PD and I don’t want to visit the slammer to see them.

The city’s FY2008 budget for the I&T Department contains the following:

There is also a vee-hickle maintenance budget so they must have a vee-hickle. Why?

The guys who work in the sewers, they need wearing apparel. Why does I&T need wearing apparel?

Overtime? Why aren’t they salaried?

That $507,590 is spread over 7.5 positions, according to the budget chart. Now, here’s your bonus question: How many I&T people does it take to keep the county running? Read the rest of this entry

Low moments in modern history:

“I am not a crook.”

“I am not a wimp.”

“We are not a tax-and-spend council.”

Look, Mr. Simpson, you can say that every meeting from now until the harvest of the corn but until it matches up with your actions it is simply not true.

(The irony here is that Mr. Simpson did actually vote on the taxpayer-friendly side of the motion to reconsider the sales tax increase–along with Alds. Baker and Keller–but my instinct on this is that he didn’t understand the vote.)

For the record, Ald. Wogen lied last night about what he said at the April 3 meeting. Then he betrayed us on the vote. Any points he earned for hosting the April 3 meeting, for nudging along the meeting format changes, anything else: They’re gone.

There were two bright spots in the meeting that ran 3 hours. One was that we had a pretty good lineup of speakers to the tax issue. The other was Ald. Baker, who filled in for the absent mayor in running the meeting. Read the rest of this entry