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Tax Increase

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Vivian Moon View Drop Down
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    Posted: Mar 31 2012 at 4:12am

March 30, 2012: Instructions to Publisher: Please publish one time only in the Middletown Journal.

Legal Notice No. 127377

Notice is hereby given that the following items of legislation are scheduled for second and final reading on THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2012 at 7:30 A.M. during the business meeting of Middletown City Council at One Donham Plaza, Middletown, Ohio, 45042.

1. Ordinance No. O201216, an ordinance to continue to impose a onequarter percent income tax on and after January 1, 2013 to be used solely for the operation of the Divisions of Police and Fire and to amend Chapter 890 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Middletown, as amended.

2. Resolution No. R201208, a resolution directing the Boards of Elections of Butler County and Warren County to place upon the ballot at a Special Election to be held on August 7th, 2012, the question of enacting an ordinance to continue to impose a onequarter of one percent income tax on and after January 1, 2013 to be used solely for the operation of the Divisions of Police and Fire and to amend Chapter 890 of the Codified Ordinances.

3. Resolution No. R201209, a resolution to make adjustments to appropriations for current expenses and other expenditures of the City of Middletown, Counties of Butler and Warren, State of Ohio, for the period ending December 31, 2012. (General Fund)

Entire text of legislation is available in the City Council Office, third floor, City Building, One Donham Plaza, Middletown

Betsy Parr, Clerk of City Council

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TonyB View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TonyB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar 31 2012 at 9:21am
I see it was decided that the levy has a better chance in a special election in August rather than the general election in November. I hope it's worth the extra money the city must spend to put it on the ballot. If it gets voted down, I wonder how deep the cuts in Public Safety will be. I'm sure no admin or overhead will be cut (or very little) so that would leave more patrolmen and firefighters eliminated. Not a good situation.
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Mar 31 2012 at 10:23am
They will have to send out absentee ballots won't they?

Need to get the word out about voting absentee, and possible legal challenge as they are attempting to suppress voter turn-out.

There also must be a ballot statement stating to resend the tax back to 1.5%.

Middletown is pricing itself out of market, and running people away.

Look at Breihel Blvd, all the FOR LEASE signs going up for business.

Every business is leaving downtown and Breihel, that tells you all you need to know about the city "bright future".

Second funniest weekly event, behind Mike Presta's. Drove to post office to ship an item. City had every fire truck they owned outside, including one dedicated to hazardous unit. How often is that used and what overhead costs are there? Guess they think people going into post office will see the necessity of public servants in Middletown.

Check out the paper, you'll see all you need to know about waste and salaries.

WELCOME TO MANSFIELD AND YOUNGTOWN, THAT'S WHAT A RENEWAL AND INCREASE MEANS.

Vote NO, a non brainer.




'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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Mike_Presta View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2012 at 7:53am

So…what should we do about this “public safety” payroll tax???

Of course everyone is “for” public safety, so perhaps this is a “no brainer”???  Not so fast…perhaps we should consider it a little deeper than that.

We need more jail space to allow our municipal court to hand out stiffer sentences, and to have the manpower available to run an expanded jail.  I’d be the first one to campaign in favor of that—but none of the money from this tax will go towards the jail.

If we try to remember back five years ago—when the first “public safety” tax was proposed—it was decided that it stood a better chance to pass with a five-year “sunset provision” so that the people could be shown that the money would be used as promised, and that if it wasn’t, then the people could rightfully refuse to renew it.  When measured by that standard, we, the people, should refuse to renew it.  The city’s administration did not live by their promises, so we should take them at their own word.  This time it does not have the five-year sunset provision.  This time we will be stuck.

Supporters of this tax, many of whom are city employees, have failed to obey the campaign laws regarding the placement of signs within the public right-of-way.  During past campaigns, the city administration has had signs of many candidates removed and confiscated when they were so placed.  If we cannot trust them to equally apply the law in this regard, can we trust them to keep their word with this “public safety” money, especially when they know there will be no renewal in five years to worry about???

The problem with this tax is not the tax.  The problem with this tax is the city administration.  It is one that has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted.  This administration, including its willing accomplice in the City Law Director’s office, has demonstrated that they work not for the best interests of our city as a whole, but only for the best interests of themselves and a small group of influential “friends of city hall”, and as they do so, city council usually sits silently by, letting them do as they wish.  (Remember, they let their kangaroo court of a Historic Commission rule that hanging hundreds of junk auto hoods on two sides of a building at a main downtown intersection to be “historically appropriate”…and not one council person said a single word!!!)

Who knows what this gang will stretch and twist and distort the term “public safety” to include???  Haven’t friends of city hall already begun to make a case that the decorative fake gas lamps for South Main Street are actually a “public safety” item???  Certainly more “bike paths” will be considered “public safety” won’t they???  (We can’t have our bicyclists risk being run down by motorists now, can we???  And if they can’t see a thorn bush next to the sidewalk on Main Street without the fake gas lamps, won’t the bike paths through the park—read “park” as all the new green space resulting from millions of dollars’ worth of demolition—will need fake gas lamps as well!!)

What if the marquee of the Sorg Opera House or the wall around the Sorg Mansion  deteriorate and put pedestrians in danger???  Will Middletown Moving Forward be given a million or two in the name of "public safety" to restore one or both to their former glory???

The bottom line???  It seems to me that we don’t have now the police and firefighters that were promised if we passed the public safety tax five years ago.  What makes anyone think that the money will go towards what any reasonable person would perceive as “public safety” if we pass it now???

Perhaps it should be tried again when a new administration that has proven itself more trustworthy is in place.

That is my opinion, and I am entitled to it.

“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2012 at 10:43am
I respectfully disagree with your assessment Mr. Presta, that the 1.75% has no negative consequence on the residents and businesses and may be justified. It has been shown repeatedly, higher taxes in a city drives BOTH residents and business out. Why do you think AKS left? It wasn't about technology, it was about taxes.

As for the jail, why should not Butler Cty jail be sufficient, it could be expanded, and they handle many inmates from Hamilton Cty presently, so room is no problem.

As for public safety, I see the dead ash trees hanging all over roads and major thoroughfares being more of an issue than being worried about being attacked. One of the most dangerous is Laura Wiliams dead ash tree on Rosedale, at an angle, and just waiting to fall on an auto or biker heading west. That's true in many locations in Middletown.

As for funding other needs, your reference was jails, the city has consistently demonstrated they take money from the public safety levy and move it into the GF. Also, M29 made a valid pt. The levy is just to mitigate the city's responsibility for funding the movement from the GF, into public safety.

At the end o the day, perhaps we have reached the same conclusion, but arrived at the conclusion on different paths. I see the 1.75% having a detrimental effect on business, on the citizen, and rewarding very poor city performance. That's just an opinion of course, but one based upon historic failures that continue with the city in many areas.

  

 
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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VietVet View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 05 2012 at 8:54pm
acclaro:

"It has been shown repeatedly, higher taxes in a city drives BOTH residents and business out. Why do you think AKS left? It wasn't about technology, it was about taxes."

LIKE TO ADD ANOTHER REASON FOR THE DEPARTURE OF AK....SAME REASON BLACK CLAWSON WENT TO MASON-MONTGOMERY ROAD......IMAGE AND DOING BUSINESS IN A MORE PROFESSIONAL AND MODERN ENVIRONMENT. BETTER TO ENTERTAIN CLIENTS AT THE WEST CHESTER INTERCHANGE OF I-75 THAN TO DO IT AT THE DATED FACILITIES IN MIDDLETOWN. FOR BLACK CLAWSON, THE SAME STORY IN MASON. JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE PRICE MIDDLETOWN IS PAYING FOR NOT "KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES" CONCERNING PROGRESS AND MODERNIZATION.

YOU AND MR. PRESTA BOTH MAKE GOOD OBSERVATIONS.

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Mike_Presta View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 06 2012 at 1:44am
Acclaro,
I tried to send you a message.  Your message box is full.
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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acclaro View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote acclaro Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Aug 06 2012 at 2:05pm
Mr. P., so sorry. Emptied the trash, fire away, bin is open.
'An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.' - Winston Churchill
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