Irreconcilable Differences?

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Irreconcilable Differences?
Galambos and DeJulio still don't get it . . .

Read their attempts to justify higher taxes carefully (published in the Sandy Springs Reporter on Septmeber 19, 2008).

[Please be in touch with the City Council today! Let them know how you feel. My thoughts are detailed below if you are interested in reading them. An easy way to communicate your thoughts to the entire City Council is to go to www.sandyspringsadvocate.com and complete the online form. It is sent to all the Council members with a single click.]

Tibby DeJulio:
Mr. DeJulio spends much of his effort in the article by painting his personal recollection of history. He then states what I will call The DeJulio Mission - "It was not a financial mission; it was one of accountability and spending!" I couldn't have said it any better myself, Mr. DeJulio. He spends the rest of the article talking about "this year's budget and tax increase" like we citizens of Sandy Springs are virtually demanding he lead the charge to higher taxes and more spending. It's like the words "budget" and "tax increase" are meant to go with each other.

He said the feedback from "our residents" was to raise taxes. Are you the "resident" who asked him to raise your taxes? It wasn't me.

Mr. DeJulio has made his case. He will never roll back taxes as long as he is in office. He has said the only way he would vote for a "possible" tax rollback in 2009 was if it were a "non-binding resolution." That's like having a non-binding marriage, or a non-binding mortgage, or a non-binding tax bill from the city. What the heck is a "non-binding resolution?"

Mr. DeJulio himself wrote a paper making a case for the City of Sandy Springs being efficiently operated on $76,000,000 in 2007. We have skyrocketed to a $90,000,000 city. Mr DeJulio, why are you spending 100% of the $90,000,000 and looking for more? When is enough actually enough?

I have to give him partial credit for his fleeting thoughts of a roll back. He stated his "fist inclination was to roll back the rate and save our homeowners" from a tax increase. How long did that thought last, Mr. DeJulio? If that thought was a seed it must have been quickly choked out by surrounding weeds because DeJulio changed his mind in a virtual nanosecond.

What I want, as a citizen of Sandy Springs, is strong leadership from within the City Council. Someone who holds the line on taxes, has a goal to roll them back, and considers this a responsibility of office. My observations confirm the only Council member providing that level of leadership is Doug MacGinnitie. Karen Meizen-McEnerny could step up, but needs a little encouragement. Mayor Galambos also needs a little encouragement to stand firm on this issue. She seems to be pulled in the other direction. The Mayor, of course, does not have a vote unless there is a voting tie by the other Council members. Is there hope from another City Council member stepping forward in a positive way on this issue? Only time and their individual voting records will tell.

At least DeJulio "thought about" a roll back in a year when there were operational efficiencies and the predictably efficient collection of taxes by our Tax Commissioner (99%+, not the City's budgeted 92%). What is DeJulio going to do when there is a hiccup in operational efficiencies? Or if Mr. Ferdinand falls to the City's budgeted 92% collection rate instead of the Tax Commissioner's historically repetitive 99%, which is highly unlikely? I'll give you a hint . . . I predict DeJulio will be the first one calling for and voting for a millage rate increase. Hold onto your hats, folks!

Mr. DeJulio has clearly identified the two things he focuses on . . . "accountability and responsible spending." Thank goodness for the capable leadership provided by CH2MHill taking care of the "accountability" part. We can be confident of their performance. Unfortunately Mr. DeJulio seems to be convinced the people of Sandy Springs are virtually demanding that he lead the charge to spend, spend, spend.

He (with other City Council members' approval) hasn't yet bought the private jet flashing the Sandy Springs' logo that someone in office after his term will have to sell on Ebay. But be wary . . that "jet" could be spelled "new City Hall" or "Hammond Park." We need both a city hall and nice parks in some form, but in upcoming Council decisions Mr. DeJulio will be asked to decide whether those specific projects take on the characteristics of a wasteful and resource burning private jet or a vehicle that burns alternative fuels. Guess which one he is likely to choose.

Mayor Eva Galambos:
Madam Mayor, I and at least 96% of the rest of Sandy Springs love you for bringing us out of the belly of the Fulton County Government and promising us (along with Oliver Porter) a new government. Thank you. With all due and deserved respect I am concerned that your recent rhetoric seems to be an exercise in justification for higher taxes which is nothing but "old" government.

You seem to me to be confused about how "new government" should define and put limits on taxes, budgets, spending, and their resultant roll backs or increases. I'd like to hear you standing firm on the side of proper budgeting and spending up to, but not exceeding, the limits set in that budget. Encourage operating efficiencies and roll back the taxes every chance you get. That level of leadership on the Council is coming only from Councilman Doug MacGinnitie.

What happened to the contention before election that we could efficiently run our city on expected revenues of $76,000,000 or less? We are now a $90,000,000 city. Who is going to stand up and say "Enough is enough?"

There will always be something to spend the money on that a Mr. DeJulio will call "responsible" spending. You've been around long enough to know that spending is spending, no matter what you call it. I'd like you to consider replacing the word "responsible" with the word "necessary" since the word "responsible" seems to encourage others on the the City Council to emphasize and fall prey to the word "spending."

It seems to me as though there is a growing Council attitude (except for Doug MacGinnitie and perhaps Karen Meinzen-McEnerny) that increasing taxes on businesses is okay. It is NOT okay. Businesses must pass those taxes on to their customers (if their nearby competitors allow them) or the business will die. If their customers are in Sandy Springs then every Sandy Springs resident who is a patron is directly affected. Every apartment dweller, every retail shopper, every restaurant patron, everyone will be affected. I believe you should foster the currently unrealized reality that Sandy Springs is the place to do business. Businesses will want to relocate here if our taxes are low. By their increased presence in Sandy Springs the commercial tax digest will increase. I would encourage you to fight against increases to the commercial tax digest that are due to reassessments on existing businesses and fight for business growth in our community which will have the desired effect - more taxes paid by business with a lower tax burden on residents. If we raise taxes on commercial entities and those businesses relocate to another municipality the residential tax burden will become much greater.

Please lead the way to Responsible Government - Necessary Spending - and Lower Taxes.

[Jim Buckler, jim.buckler@sandyspringsadvocate.com, www.sandyspringsadvocate.com, 404-408-9723]