city manager dangles
carrot
Your tax dollar !
commissioners hell-bent on tax spending spree - - - mayor joins in !
while most municipalities try to economize to meet today's budget problems, the City Manager of Winter Springs continues to spend frivolously !
Examples are:
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The latest gimmick is building NEW fences on the private property of those residents in Tuscawilla whose homes border Tuscawilla Road. For the people who voted for "Phase II" ask the city to build YOU a new fence! The whole TLBD is a deceptive FARCE ! |
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A $46,000 fountain behind City Hall, outside his window, a storm water runoff retention pond. |
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A whopping $36,000 for a 400 foot fence in one of Commissioner Miller's parks. |
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Or, how about, laptop computers to be used on the dais for all the Commissioners. |
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Some need more than laptops to keep up and pay attention to the Commission agendas. |
fourth budget workshop update --- 6/30/03
From the Commissioner Martinez Corner ---
"Does anyone have a copy of the budget? I forgot mine."
and to fellow Commissioners --
"We have to squat, or get off the pot ! "
A Class Act & Words-of-Wisdom from the Tuscawilla Commissioner !
Third Workshop Held -- 6/23/03 -- It's a Three Year Time Bomb !
commissioners now want their own personal laptop computers to be furnished while they bask on the dais !
(There is probably only two who would know how to use the computers !)
News Bulletin: City Manager wants to "piggyback" off a STATE contract to buy FIVE computers for his Parks Department.
The cost $11,050 for the five. No wonder the State has BUDGET PROBLEMS !
You could get TEN SUPER COMPUTERS at CompUSA for that price !
City Manager McLemore' s development bullet taking a toll on the City taxpayers !
property tax increase update - 6/10/03
( Check the 2001 bond debt --- Winter Springs improved from A rating to A+ (?) ??? )
city manager proposes hike in taxes in unprepared City workshop !
In a budget workshop where Commissioners received the proposed budget at meeting time, the City Manager goes through his yearly budget charade. When asked about the time it took ( 8 months ) to prepare, and present the budget package, a "Computer Error" was blamed. That's like putting up an umbrella after you're soaking wet !
Computers don't make mistakes. Everyone knows the phrase, "Garbage In -- Garbage Out". It's the computer operators, and what they put into the computer. However, it could be one of the expensive software programs installed that wasn't compatible with the figures being skillfully maneuvered into the computer that caused the errors. That's almost as bad as the utility billing procedure. The bills were almost mailed out ---- after they were due. Is that software ?
PFGG can't bring you the whole story, because the tapes produced by the City were bad, and still haven't been reproduced in their entirety. The City Clerk is, and has been well aware of the faulty tape duplicator for some time, but couldn't get the City Manager to shake lose with the money for a new duplicator. The current one was purchased years ago when Mrs. Mary Norton was our City Clerk.
Getting back to the tax increase --- it should be almost a seven percent (6.9%) increase, due to the anticipated huge capital expenses this City is facing. It must be because of the City Manager's love of tearing down the forest and replacing it with concrete development, and his aggressive over-annexation, requiring tremendous increases in City services.
The City Manager was overjoyed with the revenue being generated from the telecommunications taxes. He should be ---- those, along with other services taxes, are the highest in the State allowed by law. Isn't it nice knowing you have a City Manager that is thrilled with the taxes collected from your use of water, phones, cable, power, waste management, storm water, and etc.? He's such a generous City Manager!
more to follow -- there is still ANOTHER workshop !
Here's a startling fact !
The City Manager of Winter Springs makes
MORE money
Than the following County Managers !
| County Manager | Orange | $145,226.00 |
|---|---|---|
| County Manager | Brevard | $126,000.00 |
| County Manager | Seminole | $120,972.80 |
| County Manager | Volusia | $109,000.00 |
| County Manager | Lake | $107,016.00 |
DATELINE June 10th, 2003
A frolicking time was enjoyed by the attendees to one of the City of Winter Springs finest evening performances at the June 9th Commission meeting. Led by role players, under the direction of City Manager McLemore, the "Three-Stooges" (Miller/Martinez/McGiness) performed magnificently. The evening was filled with comical renditions of their famous "I'm an elected official" --- "I know what's best for you", and childish behavior.
the real story is slowly developing --- the taxpayers are on the short end !
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City Manager must go to desperate means to seek revenue for floundering TownCenter. |
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The move has already been put in place to seek additional revenue through the refinancing of "Improvement Revenue Refunding" bond issue as advertised in the Orlando Sentinel June 10th, 2003. It's a small amount of only $8,755,000 million dollars. Is the City Manager caught short on his anticipated revenue income ? |
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Is this the same bond issue that was just approved the night of June 9th, 2003 ? If it was ---- this was done behind closed doors prior to the Monday's Commission meeting, and sent to the Orlando Sentinel the very same day for advertising. Give the people a break --- they're not that dumb ! |
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Is this the bond issue that is only going to cost the taxpayers of Winter Springs $19,038,020.00 million dollars for "Debt Service". What are the interest costs? What were the brokers fees? |
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Are the low income housing projects, and the "Dollar Store" just another invitation by him to seek the additional revenues needed to fund the City's growing cash pains ? |
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The City Manager dug a deep hole when he formed the "Commission Home Rule". That was the City Charter changes touted by him, and the Tuscawilla Homeowners Association. |
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The Commission then named themselves the sole "Development Review Committee" for all the ambiguous requirement of "TownCenter Zoning" they put in place. |
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That "TownCenter Zoning" is now coming back to haunt them. Developers are mad, builders are mad, and the growth pattern is falling way too short to supplement the much needed revenue. |
Might have to change title of this page to --
Taxpayers Eating Commission's Dirt !
Much more TO FOLLOW !
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