NO to Target as City Hall - Choose Fiscal Conservatism
Below is correspondence I sent to City Council members regarding the proposed purchase of the Target store site. If you feel similarly (or even if you want them to spend your money for this purpose) you should communicate your feelings to the whole City Council and Mayor. Go to http://www.sandyspringsadvocate.com/ for an easy way to let them know how you think they should vote on this matter.
"Looking forward . . . YOU now have the chance to stand up for fiscal conservatism, smaller government, lower taxes, and demonstrate that you support responsible local business development. You have the chance to lead others on the City Council to better decision making.
Regardless of your previous position on the issue, I encourage you to vote NO to buying the Target store and converting it to the Police Station, Jail, and City Hall.
If you feel City Government can't stay in rented facilities at Morgan Falls or work harder to find a way to share the Fulton County Annex property, then propose something new . . . maybe a private/public partnership that can develop the Target property into taxpaying retail, office, and/or residential space with a small portion of the space being reserved for a small City Government. Sandy Springs needs you to vote NO to the current purchase plan for the Target property. Sandy Springs needs you to lead the way to better and smaller government.
Can you be counted on to lead the way to better and innovative local government for Sandy Springs or to lead us down the well trodden path to higher taxes, frivolous spending, and disrespect for property owners' desires to maintain their neighborhoods?
Responsible participation in this new City of Sandy Springs' government is important. You are attempting to serve as an elected official. I am attempting to serve by engaging you in civic conversation and encouraging you to follow a course of better decision making and better leadership."
Jim Buckler
jim.buckler@sandyspringsadvocate.com
404-408-9723
posted by For a Better Sandy Springs @ 6:35 AM
2 Comments
2 Comments:
Jim,
Have you ever looked back and said "I wish I had bought that property when I had the chance". Now is on of those opportunities for the City. The property can be purchased now for less than what it was available for several years ago and would most likely be prohibitively too expensive in the future. The current City Hall location is and always has been temporary. We are fortunate due to the efficiencies of CH2MHill and the actions of the City Council and staff to have the surplus that has allowed the city to move forward on this as well as other necessary capital expenditures that are enhancing our community. I have lived in the area for almost 50 years and change is good.
The real question to me is, “Does the City of Sandy Springs NEED to own the Target store or even ANY property for a fancy City Hall now or in the future?” Not, “How can we miss the opportunity of taking advantage of a sale price on something we don’t need just because it’s on sale?” That’s an argument I can imagine hearing from someone holding a Macy’s coupon, but I would still counter with, “Do you really need it?” and “Do you really have the money to spend?’
Those of us who were excited about the prospects of a local government expected it to
• be very fiscally responsible,
• look for and act on opportunities to do things differently,
• be responsible to keep our residential neighborhoods strong and keep them residential,
• focus on providing ESSENTIAL services in an extraordinarily efficient and effective way, and
• Keep Taxes LOW.
I am NOT impressed by the recent performance of this Inaugural City Council as they are now adopting old school “tax and spend” activity, old school disregard for neighborhoods and personal property self determination, and old school disregard of their own campaign promises.
I was impressed at the direction City Founders like Oliver Porter attempted to point this council, but am scratching my head wondering how they have decided to take the old familiar self destructive route so quickly. That pre-government group found and negotiated a relationship with CH2MHill and encouraged these newbie elected officials to engage in a new private/public outsourcing contract that has proven to be a great initiative and a model for other communities. Why are these City Council members not willing to embrace this as a model for their current and ongoing decisions?
The actions of the City Council (referred to with implied pride in the “Anonymous” email) that created the tax surplus and, we are led to believe, is “enhancing our community” can be described as:
• Poor budgeting techniques,
• Dangerous precedent setting “tax and spend / tax even more and spend even more” policies,
• An unchecked city government that is hell bent to create a permanent infrastructure that requires even higher property taxes to support,
• All the while NOT taking care of ESSENTIAL services and ESSENTIAL infrastructure.
What happened to the novel and successful idea of private/public partnerships? I would like the old Target property to remain commercial and tax producing. Every dollar of taxes received from successful commercial property owners reduces the tax burden of residential property owners. Plus successful businesses make our community vibrant. We need to encourage proper commercial development in our city.
If our city really “needs” to move from rented offices at Morgan Falls (which I question) then here are some alternatives that I would consider reasonable to debate . . .
• Work hard – very hard – to convert the current North Fulton Annex into a facility that will house both city and county governments. After working very hard on this option and failing . . . try again!
• Work hard to maintain private/public partnerships in virtually every endeavor of the city government. In regards to us building a City Hall this statement means we should encourage the City to partner with a private entity to build a joint commercial/government complex that is owned by the tax paying commercial entity, not the city government. This complex might be a multi-use facility with retail, office, and/or multi-family residences, plus designated space for government offices.
o This facility could be the Target location, or
o It could be placed in some blighted area of Sandy Springs in an attempt to improve that area, but
o Please don’t make an outright purchase of the Target location with tax dollars.
The Anonymous writer states they have lived in Sandy Springs for almost 50 years. I’m a relative newcomer having lived here for only half that time. The writer believes “change is good.” I don’t believe ALL “change is good.” In some cases change takes situations from bad to worse. I’m afraid that’s all I see as possibilities in this Anonymous writer’s observations. I want change to be positive and that comes from terrific planning, fiscal conservatism, and making promises you intend to keep.
Jim Buckler
jim.buckler@sandyspringsadvocate.com
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