By Scott Unger • Of the News-Register • 

McMinnville planning to top off tax rate

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Comments

CubFan

Part 1

READ THAT AGAIN, AND LET IT SINK IN:

Garvin states: “Much like property tax was always intended to be returned to the permanent rate, the service charge wasn’t promoted as temporary when it was approved in 2022”

GARVIN is caught in a LIE here. He states the property tax was always intended to be returned to the permanent rate. When the public was being asked to vote for the fire department, GARVIN himself tried to convince voters to vote in favor of the fire department by telling us that voters would have the option of whether OR NOT to reinstate the $1.50. And if voters agreed to accept the $1.50, then voters would have a say in how that money would be allocated.

The city did send out two faulty surveys to citizens about the tax rate. The News-Register conducted their own survey, which gathered 907 responses, of which 54% chose the option “return the savings to taxpayers”. The results of this survey were shared with the city council, but the city council apparently ignored the results and proceeded to apply the tax anyway. And now it’s obvious why the city ignored the News-Register survey… it’s because the city fully intended all along to raise the tax rate back to $5.02 IN ADDITION to the new fire department rate of $2/M.

CubFan

Part 2

Regarding the city user fee. Garvin states “the service charge wasn’t promoted as temporary when it was approved in 2022”. But Morris has a more accurate view of it when she expresses “concern that the charge was originally implied as temporary” Citizens were led to believe this user fee was to relieve a severe budget shortfall. There was NO communication to citizens about the plan for this service charge, but it was certainly intimated to be a one-time fix. And here we are, 4 years later STILL PAYING this fee.

Yes, the city needs to decide how to reduce their budget, JUST LIKE ALL CIOTIZENS have to do. Tighten your belt. Cut waste. Probably even reduce staff. The answer is NOT to keep dipping into taxpayer pockets.
And now, the city also plans to bring forth a reduced bond for the pool. The school district will be asking for a new bond in 2027. Think about that when you vote!

Garvin is a trickster, and SHOULD NOT be considered for the position of fulltime city manager.

Bigfootlives

“I just think it’s not realistic because in five years healthcare is going to increase 10% year-over-year and wages are going to increase 3% year-over-year. And so, where do we at that point get the money?

Not from us! But then again, maybe you can squeeze in another scam “user fee”. At least we got rid of mayor Remi, but she was only part of the cancer at city hall.

Angela Flood

12,000 electric customers in McMinnville x 13 bucks a month = $156,000.00
$156,000 x 12 mths = $1,872,000 a year. (Feel free to check my math - its early and I haven't finished my coffee.)
That covers the original 1.8 million they said they were short in 2022.

One of the talking points of the fire district creation was a savings on the tax.
Now, the city is going to keep that too.

Plus they are adding the $15.00 / month storm water fee?

Pile onto those charges is that Mac arranged for garbage services to be priced considerably higher than local communities pay because they wanted yard debris and glass recycling included - even though the majority of users don't want the service.
The city receives a franchise fee of more than $450,000.00 a year from Recology - paid by the customers.

Feels kinda scammy.

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