I ask everyone to please consider that we must make bare bones cuts (very difficult) and get back to essential services (Public Safety, Infrastructure and Economic development) or it will break the back of the city. If we do that we will be ready when the turn-around comes in 5 to 7 years. I hope I'm wrong but thats the view from 50,00 feet above. Our grandchildren won't be able to pay for it.

       Paul Nagy

 

In today's economy the choices are amazingly simple and mirrored in every aspect of the business world. It all comes down to which do you prefer--concessions or layoffs?

 

There is no more tax revenue coming in.

The east end promises have proven hollow so far.

The retail business community has collapsed.

For every mid-wage level job we gain, we lose approx. three.

White collar professional job creation has been non-existant.

There honestly aren't any realistic plans for growth downtown or in the Town Mall area(or in between). Yet our close neighbors are doing much better.

Our schools are over-built,under-populated and at the bottom of every ratings list imaginable.

Short of a fire sale, you can't get any value for residential or business property.

 

How does Council/Admin keep their promise and the trust(lol!!) of the citizens?

 

Oh yeah--the sun will come up tomorrow.

What moron recently said that?

 

The hocus pocus with the Street Light tax and moving money from the General Fund over to Public Safety or propping up the Public Safety Levy however they are going to do it is a temporary fix at best. 

 

Middletown is going to start drawing down it's reserve fund over the next 3 year from 25% to 15%.  I figure that gives Middletown about 2 years to come up with a plan to at least keep Public Safety funded at 2010 levels.  The budget for 2010 has already been worked on and I would run with that for now.

 

The fact that the Public Safety fund represents 70% of the general fund is the norm for many city's.  What is not the norm is the fact that Middletown has declining tax revenues from income and property tax.  Middletown is loosing jobs and population.  Middletown is not gaining new residents that make up the Middle income bracket to pay the taxes to support the city.  Middletown is not attracting big businesses.  Poverty in Middletown is growing.

 

Does anyone know of a major project coming to Middletown in the next 2 years that is going to produce 1000 jobs with incomes averaging $60,000.00 to makeup the $1,000,000.00 in lost tax revenue?  Is the city keeping such a project under wraps for now?  I doubt it.

 

The city needs to start now, working on a plan for the Public Safety issue, to fund it or restructure it so that in 2-3 years we are not facing a disaster in trying to maintain Public Safety without drastic cuts or a huge tax increase.  As far as a Tax increase, I don't se that in Middletown's future.  They need to think outside of the box on this matter.

 

This should be a priority for the new Council and the City and they can't take their sweet time doing it like they did with Section 8.

 

Think outside the Box folks.  Outside of the Ivory Tower downtown.