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Comments
Moe
From above:
The recommendations include funding to set up a billing program through McMinnville Water & Light so the new charges align with other utility bills. Morris questioned a recommendation to shut off utilities for nonpayment.
“I have a concern on shutting somebody’s power and water off based on stormwater, especially in this day and age when people are struggling,” she said. “Stormwater, I’m not going to say it’s not important, but having your power on is super important.”
//
Two points:
1. We still have the unconscionable "$13" MW&L fee. People therefore already have the threat of power & water being shut off over the $13 fee. But whereas stormwater is at least real, the debt the $13 was to repay was long ago repaid, and so there is literally nothing real for which that $13 fee is justified.
To redress that ongoing injury, the sum of $13 fees collected since repayment of the debt should be refunded to MW&L customers. Furthermore, the refund must account for the time value of money: I recommend a refund of some 150% of principle.
As an alternative remediation, the city could first end the $13 MW&L fee. And then "work off" the money owed ratepayers by not bothering us for stormwater fees, etc. ... But the problem here is that nobody is going to trust the city to tell us when they've worked off their debt to ratepayers.
2. There is no way to justify a permanent new fee / tax for stormwater. That is just a more blatant version of selling the $13 MW&L fee to repay a debt but keeping the fee in place after the debt was repaid. Any new MW&L fee for stormwater definitely should get every current city official voted out as they come up for re-election. On this issue, nobody with two working brain cells and a synapse is going to trust the city / MW&L.
BC
"Councilor Dan Tucholsky lamented another charge for taxpayers, saying it seems residents are asked to pick up the bill every time the city wants something new.
“That’s one way to look at it,” Hunsacker replied, “or it could be that this is an existing system that the citizens have never paid for"
We never paid for it before? Seriously, we've been paying for it since the beginning of time, it was just included in other fees and charges without referring to it by name. There have never been "free" services provided by any governmental body.
Logical Fallacies for the fail.
Bigfootlives
Thanks for hitting that one BC. My head exploded when I read Tucholsky's comment. If WE haven't paid for it, who the hell has? The answer is that they haven't squeezed us for the money.
Here is a tax program I think we should pass through on the city level first, and then the county level, because I think it will bring in the missing revenue that the city council loses sleep over. Let's start off with a $20 a bottle wine tax on every bottle that is sold in the city limits, $15 if it has any portion processed, packaged, shipped, etc., in the city. And a 20% food and lodging tax increase for the downtown area, Alpine Ave development, etc. Anything in that area should get the tax, because if they drive around downtown, they pay for that stuff.
After the first year, we can increase to $25, $20, and $25 % and then go county-wide. With progressive increases, we should be able to cut property taxes in half in 4-7 years. Maybe families can afford to own a home and live in McMinnville again.
BC
Bigfootlives - just for clarification, it was Hunsacker, the paid consultant, who made the comment, not Councilor Tucholsky.
Dan Tucholsky
Thank you BC.
Bigfootlives please reread the section. WE, the tax paying citizens of MAC, regardless of which financial account it’s come from, have paid for this unrecognized utility since day one.
BC
Dan - I'm glad the tactic Mr. Hunsaker used wasn't successful on everyone. Personally, it irritates (should I say offends) me that so many people use those tactics to fool people. Logical fallacies, semantics, half-truths, one-sided surveys, excessive information overloads to confuse issues, etc.
We have a certain staff member who must have majored in every one of those tactics as she employs them liberally in everything she promotes.
If you must resort to trickery to get your way, then you know full well that your way would not pass the icky test.
Moe
"Morris questioned a recommendation to shut off utilities for nonpayment."
Good on Mayor Morris.
//
The city should go ahead and fix the physical storm system where needed. Get moving while its warm and dry. Excavate where necessary, reline pipe in-siu where applicable, and so on.
Ratepayers will be furious if fees go up, sinkholes go down, and bureaucracy continues to grow, which is obviously the current trajectory. But the bureaucrats would be happy, having created a problem where none existed, and having an expensive solution waiting in hand. Let's get off of that harmful trajectory, and back to common sense.
Moe
"McMinnville city staff made a final pitch to city councilors for a new stormwater utility
... that would generate $4 million annually
after a utility was established."
Really?
Generate $4 million per year how?
Ron
Again cut off Heather Richards, and the planning commission and all the money they’ve wasted in McMinnville. Take The urban growth and all the millions of grant money they get and Waste. Here’s a thought how about getting a grant for the storm and use , ODOT money and some of that SDC money should be used for the storm system. You never hear about the SDC money unless they want to raise the fee. Wouldn’t the systems development money be well spent on the storm sewer system and not burden people with another so-called fee, just another tax. Sure funny how they run it through the Water and light department, just another scam. Sell the RB rubber property an and earmarked the money for storm system work, or pay off the loan.If it’s so important to the city, they should get out of the real estate development business and quit Dinging the public and the rate payers. If we have a city council with a backbone, they better say no. Fat Chance!
Ron
Again cut off Heather Richards, and the planning commission and all the money they’ve wasted in McMinnville. Take The urban growth and all the millions of grant money they get and Waste. Here’s a thought how about getting a grant for the storm and use , ODOT money and some of that SDC money should be used for the storm system. You never hear about the SDC money unless they want to raise the fee. Wouldn’t the systems development money be well spent on the storm sewer system and not burden people with another so-called fee, just another tax. Sure funny how they run it through the Water and light department, just another scam. Sell the RB rubber property an and earmarked the money for storm system work, or pay off the loan.If it’s so important to the city, they should get out of the real estate development business and quit Dinging the public and the rate payers. If we have a city council with a backbone, they better say no. Fat Chance!