Chamber report cards
Just as Athens Grow Green Coalition did with the Athens-Clarke County mayoral candidates - and I showed you with Heidi Davison and Charlie Maddox - I've come into a copy of Davison's responses to the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce's questionnaire.
And word is that the mayor filled out the form and then politely requested to not be considered for endorsement by the organization. It isn't as if the Chamber was likely to endorse Davison's campaign, but it's still a pretty gutsy move for the mayor ... though the Chamber and her administration have butted heads a good bit over the past four years.
Here are, not in any specific order, some questions and answers that were of interest to me (complete answers can be found at Davison's web site:
How do you address the fact that despite the Charter’s promise that moving to a consolidated government would save taxpayer money by decreasing the size of government through attrition and combining departments, no such savings or decreases have occurred?
This question presents a false argument. No such promise is included in the Charter – a document that establishes the form and structure of our local government. The goal is to realize reductions in redundancy and improve efficiency and we continuously strive to meet that goal.
On a per-capita basis, the number of employees is about the same as before consolidation. The millage rate has dropped from 15.95 to 12.80 mills. Despite the drop in millage rate and the ratio of employees to citizens remaining steady, costs of goods and services and population has increased with a corresponding and, probably greater, level of services provided to the community to meet citizen needs and demands.
Growth and increased development necessarily increases demands on our infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads and road maintenance, street lighting, stormwater quantity and quality, and a commensurate increase in personnel needed to install and maintain that infrastructure. The total cost of service delivery corresponds with increased development.
I have initiated work on an energy plan designed to reduce both costs and pollution as one method of lowering the cost born by our taxpayers.
... where do you plan to put most of your attention in the first year of your term if you are elected? Where do you plan to put most of your attention in the subsequent years of your term?
When re-elected I hope to place attention on the recommendations from the Partners for a Prosperous Athens initiative. Specifically, I would like to focus on: housing affordability and availability – lifecycle and workforce housing; responses to the Entrepreneur Friendly designation questionnaires and continued job expansion as part of an economic development focus; an Energy Policy; increased transportation choices to alleviate congestion and air pollution with efforts toward creating a more walkable community; improving the general health and well-being of the community with a focus on reducing the high incidence of obesity.
Higher property tax assessments produce higher taxes even while the millage rate remains the same. Will you lower the millage rate and reduce taxes? If so, what areas of the budget will you cut in order to lower taxes?
The millage rate was reduced twice in the last four years. Since consolidation the millage rate has dropped from 15.95 to 12.80. Staff is required yearly to show a 2% reduction in their operating budgets and provide information on the impacts to services that would result from these cuts. A management and budget analyst has been added to the Finance Department for the purpose of auditing departmental services, programs and costs to determine additional cost-saving measures and efficiencies.
More significant tax reduction can be achieved by promoting the expansion of existing businesses and revisions to the state tax code – as supported by both statewide organizations, GMA and ACCG - that would allow for rollbacks in the millage rate as well as the state sales tax. The Chamber should get behind these efforts.
Underperforming properties should and are being aggressively tackled for redevelopment purposes, i.e. blighted neighborhood properties turned into new housing and businesses. Tax Allocation Districts can provide additional revenue through the development of underperforming commercial and industrial properties.
And word is that the mayor filled out the form and then politely requested to not be considered for endorsement by the organization. It isn't as if the Chamber was likely to endorse Davison's campaign, but it's still a pretty gutsy move for the mayor ... though the Chamber and her administration have butted heads a good bit over the past four years.
Here are, not in any specific order, some questions and answers that were of interest to me (complete answers can be found at Davison's web site:
How do you address the fact that despite the Charter’s promise that moving to a consolidated government would save taxpayer money by decreasing the size of government through attrition and combining departments, no such savings or decreases have occurred?
This question presents a false argument. No such promise is included in the Charter – a document that establishes the form and structure of our local government. The goal is to realize reductions in redundancy and improve efficiency and we continuously strive to meet that goal.
On a per-capita basis, the number of employees is about the same as before consolidation. The millage rate has dropped from 15.95 to 12.80 mills. Despite the drop in millage rate and the ratio of employees to citizens remaining steady, costs of goods and services and population has increased with a corresponding and, probably greater, level of services provided to the community to meet citizen needs and demands.
Growth and increased development necessarily increases demands on our infrastructure such as water, sewer, roads and road maintenance, street lighting, stormwater quantity and quality, and a commensurate increase in personnel needed to install and maintain that infrastructure. The total cost of service delivery corresponds with increased development.
I have initiated work on an energy plan designed to reduce both costs and pollution as one method of lowering the cost born by our taxpayers.
... where do you plan to put most of your attention in the first year of your term if you are elected? Where do you plan to put most of your attention in the subsequent years of your term?
When re-elected I hope to place attention on the recommendations from the Partners for a Prosperous Athens initiative. Specifically, I would like to focus on: housing affordability and availability – lifecycle and workforce housing; responses to the Entrepreneur Friendly designation questionnaires and continued job expansion as part of an economic development focus; an Energy Policy; increased transportation choices to alleviate congestion and air pollution with efforts toward creating a more walkable community; improving the general health and well-being of the community with a focus on reducing the high incidence of obesity.
Higher property tax assessments produce higher taxes even while the millage rate remains the same. Will you lower the millage rate and reduce taxes? If so, what areas of the budget will you cut in order to lower taxes?
The millage rate was reduced twice in the last four years. Since consolidation the millage rate has dropped from 15.95 to 12.80. Staff is required yearly to show a 2% reduction in their operating budgets and provide information on the impacts to services that would result from these cuts. A management and budget analyst has been added to the Finance Department for the purpose of auditing departmental services, programs and costs to determine additional cost-saving measures and efficiencies.
More significant tax reduction can be achieved by promoting the expansion of existing businesses and revisions to the state tax code – as supported by both statewide organizations, GMA and ACCG - that would allow for rollbacks in the millage rate as well as the state sales tax. The Chamber should get behind these efforts.
Underperforming properties should and are being aggressively tackled for redevelopment purposes, i.e. blighted neighborhood properties turned into new housing and businesses. Tax Allocation Districts can provide additional revenue through the development of underperforming commercial and industrial properties.
posted by Jmac at 6:58 AM
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