The Woodland Journal: Dote on the 1/4 sales tax increase

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Dote on the 1/4 sales tax increase

11 comments:

Anonymous said...: "I hate to lose what we have gained"? What has Woodland gained that we did not have before? Bigger local government? More welfare recipients? Time for cuts, lets put this on the ballot. The compensation package for any person in a managerial role, ie: Supervisors, City Council Members, etc... for the City of Woodland, Yolo County, etc... shall be based solely upon the financial health of the County, City, etc.. also the community shall vote on any and all decisions regarding any fiscal decisions. As far as I am concerned every one of these people are out come election day; 2/24/10 8:39 PM
Bernadette said...: Woodland City Government has downsized and shrunk tremendously over the past year:
The City Manager took a 10% pay cut while simultaneously doubling up as the acting head of Community Development Department.

The Police Chief is also the acting Parks Department Director. Parks has reduced staffing by 22 positions.

The Library has reduced staffing (Full Time Equivalent) positions by 45% and Sandy Biggs, the current library director is retiring early triggering the possibility that the library faced with more budget cuts will not have funds sufficient for minimum overhead costs and will be forced to close.

Cuts and increased workloads for fewer employees in all departments has already been happening.

Lay off more city/ county employees and the financial health of this area will deteriorate even more in a downward spiral.

More amputation is not wise therapy and will likely kill the patient!; 2/25/10 12:19 AM
Anonymous said...: Bernadette I wish I could find the proposed 2010 budget but could not. I did however find a budget outlining 2007 to 2009. I will go through the key points real quick.

2007 to 2009: Increased salaries by $3.1 million, what did we do hire 30 more people at $100,000 per year

Increased temporary hourly wages by $55,000

Overtime at $1 million+ annually

Account code 5148 Life, Vision, Dental, retirement $1.8 million

Account code 5150 Life, Health, vision, Insurance $2.3 million in '09, why two seperate codes for the same thing. At least thats how I interpret that.

5226 Special Dept supplies $555,000

5220 Office supplies $97,000

Looks like some creative accounting

5232 Spec dept expense $365,000 in '09

5249 Data processing reserve $1 million '09, cant back up files on a hard drive?

5630 Indirect Expense $1.6 million '09, whats that?

$43 million in expenses in '09

I think that there should be an audit to find out where all of this money goes.

It must be nice to spend all of our money then cry when it runs out; 2/25/10 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...: 10% on $185,000 wow Bernadette. I realize that Woodland is a very complex town maybe we should bow to him; 2/25/10 10:55 PM
Anonymous said...: what the manage gave away the police chief pick up in his 10% raise. Bernadette.; 2/26/10 8:08 AM
Anonymous said...: Realize the manager is paid $185K and the police chief is up there as well. Parks and rec makes $135K

So downsizing really cuts the amount of money we are spending on saleries.

People have been way overpaid.

This is not LA / Beverly Hills. The average worker in Woodland makes only 40K

We need to make the cuts and it needs to be the department heads not the worker bees or increasing the sales tax.

I remember Petriovich having seriously reduced development fees for the Auto mall and Lombrado for Spring Lake. This just after a meeting in which certain council members were returning from an all expense paid trip to Las Vegas. As I recall it was Neil Pert, Dote, Flory...

We have to pay Melo Roos etc for un obtained promises and cuts in our parks by the City Council.

If I went in for a permit to build a house and asked for a decrease and did not provide an all expense paid trip, think they would give a cost saving to an average Joe? I think not.; 2/27/10 11:57 AM
Anonymous said...: Bernadette, the patient paying for the operation is the citizens and we have been bleed dry and are outta money.

Doctor heal theyself.; 2/27/10 11:59 AM
Anonymous said...: The County is now trying to raise sales taxes as well. We can get hit with a double whammy from the City and County. Geezzzzzz; 2/27/10 12:03 PM
Anonymous said...: Dino -How do you get the council on You tube?; 2/27/10 5:18 PM
The Realist said...: Not easy to get the Youtube. But do you like it? School Board meetings to come. Also City council and school board meetings live online as well. Should be neat.; 2/27/10 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...: Love it! Wish it were live so those of us without cable can see the jerks rasing our taxes live.; 2/27/10 11:17 PM

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