Special Council Meeting: Wednesday, 5/12/10

Before I take a few day break from blogging here for personal reasons, I want to be sure people know that there will be a special council meeting prior to next week's Road & Safety meeting. The mayor has indicated his desire to call for a vote on a revenue-raising solution to the city's financial problems during that meeting.

I urge all residents to spread the word about the meeting and the choices (there are choices, there are always choices) and voice your opinion, whatever it may be - and we have heard many, many different opinions.

The Chagrin Valley Times article from last week (4/29/10 - posted below) provides a reasonable re-cap, including the fact that I do not favor a straight up .75 income tax increase, without a change in the credit (it will remain at .50) or a change in the credit limit (it will remain at 1.00%).

Additionally, although I support a draft charter amendment to provide structure around the budget process (something which I've requested for a couple of months now, pointing to another community's similar charter provision), I am undecided on another part of that same amendment.  That portion seeks to create a Tax Reduction Commission that would be composed of residents and charged with recommending to council whether or not to reduce our taxes. We only received this last week and its more recent iteration last night.

I've been told many things by people seeking to influence how I vote on this issue and I thank everyone.  I especially want to thank those who have provided the resounding support for continuing to press on finding a way for the revenue the city needs to be provided via a tool or tools that recognize the values of equity, transparency, accountability, the desire of residents who do not pay an income tax to contribute and the need for the city to continue to look for efficiencies in spending.  We've also heard a great deal in the last few days about how residents desperately want to see any tax increase demonstrably connected to the restoration of our police officers to our police force.

I do not want to settle for seeking to only achieve solvency and not incorporate the values listed above, especially given the current context of how this situation came upon us and how the burden would fall if the current proposal stands.  I do not believe that that proposal is the best we can do in what we suggest to voters and in what I believe residents would support.  I believe our residents are sophisticated and reasonable.  I believe they deserve to have their desires reflected in whatever we place before them.  I don't believe that the current proposal does this adequately.

What do you believe?

CVT 4/29/10 Income tax issue ahead for Pepper Pike
cvt42910taxcoming

Page 2 of same article
Chagrin Valley Times - page 2