THIS CITY COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER MUST GO: Better than was not Good Enough.
I have held my thoughts for the past year knowing that the last election resulted in a potential for change and better fiscal administration of our community. When the Council voted to extend the RDA and increase the Debt Limit, Protest Was Made. When the approved bonds were put up for sale, Protest Was Made. and the Council was advised not to further in-debt the GT/California Taxpayers in the RDA Financing Scheme. When the funds from the selling of Debt bonds were put at risk due to the Law Killing RDA's were spent or dedicated in a rush, Protest AGAIN was brought to the City Council.
When the Council and Mayor and City Management were asked time and time again to write and live by a bare bones budget as if the RDA was not going to be funded, it apparently neither prepared a budget or plan for such a scenario . They at least have not presented such a bare bones budget to the public. Such a plan should have been done prior to assuming the added debt or using up the funds from the bonds sold to finance that added approved debt. The Public should have been informed and yes, asked IF WE WANTED to Pay for this folly IF the RDA's were Killed or put at risk.
Now they have the idea that they will present a plan and a new set of taxes so we can pay for all these things that the Citizens have been told over and over again GT will not have to pay... RDA funds will pay for our city's Redevelopment and Operations. We'll be getting more of the California Tax Payer's Pool of funds than we put into the system.
Mayor Stanckiewitz you played the fiddle while GT was and is burning. You continued to spend spend spend, and create more and more obligations. Now if the General Fund can't pay for all the obligations that were accumulated by the Schwab/Ferre era, you added to it during your short Stanckiewitz/Adam's era. Do we want more of the same. NO. Stanckiewitz, and ALL the current City Council should be removed from office as a result of this past year and a half of BAD MANAGEMENT.
Do we want Rental Home Inspection Fees to increase? NO
Do we want Dog/Cat License Fees to increase? NO
Do we want business taxes and fees to increase? NO
Do we want Sport's Teams to pay more for the use of the Parks? NO
Do we want added taxes to fund High City Employee Salaries and Retirements? NO
Do we want to continue to have the Planned Liabilities of the RDA added to the City's Obligations? NO... Cancel the Plans, and use the funds to pay down the RDA DEBT.
Do we want more taxes? NO
Do we trust City Management and Council to use funds properly. NO
Bare Bones includes, the option to End the City of Grand Terrace as an Incorporated City. The assets and liabilities would revert to the County for administration. All Grand Terrace City Council Codes and Ordinances will be nullified and we would revert to County, State, and Federal regulations only. This alone will make doing business and redevelopment easier than keeping the City as a City.
Pay the Piper while you as Nero Played the Fiddle and GT was burning Mayor Stanckiewitz, Do us all a favor, move to end the City of Grand Terrace. Stop all payments of any kind to all City Council Members, and the related costs of all Council Members. No more Medical Insurance or Co-pay, and any other payments made to them.
SHAME ON ALL OF YOU SITTING ON THE COUNCIL and MAYOR... SHAME ON YOU ALL
See: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_19748004
This is what Mayor Stanckiewitz Said:
The 3.5-square-mile bedroom community of Grand Terrace expects to end this fiscal year with a roughly $400,000 reserve, but could be looking at a deficit of between $1.2 and $2 million in the next fiscal year, Mayor Walt Stanckiewitz said.
The cash-strapped city has proposed a ballot initiative calling on residents to support a tax hike, and the potential for the city to lose everything but the most basic services is stark reality, Stanckiewitz said.
He said city officials were scrambling to pull together lists of assets and obligations in the "winding down" process of its redevelopment agency.
He said a goal-setting workshop will be scheduled for early February.
"We're not a poster child for redevelopment," said Stanckiewitz. "We took advantage of it, and now it's time to pay the piper."
Read more: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_19748004#ixzz1jbk6yAu7
