Dear KP Editor:
I served as a member of the citizens group convened to review the City of Mount Vernon’s finances, such as they are. Our group was comprised of Republicans and Democrats, business people and non-profit administrators, retirees and careerists.
We met monthly for an entire year to understand the deep challenges facing the City. Our meetings were pre-announced, attended by the media, and open to the public. Unfortunately, as is often the case in our current era of nonparticipation, few members of the public ever joined us.
We came to understand the simple fact the City is facing declining revenue streams – from State-level cuts and diminished income tax collections as local companies have reported lower net profits.
Our citizens group looked at all options available, including further cuts in spending. Sure, we could have recommended the City cut back on ballpark maintenance and pool operations. But the savings would have been nominal – never amounting close to the more than $1 million shortfall the City faces this year. In fact, there were not enough “non-essential” services to cut that came close to the deficit.
Remember, the “nonessential” stuff is what makes living here worthwhile – versus living or running a business somewhere else. To cut ballparks and the pool – as a couple examples – would make it that much harder to attract new families, new businesses, new wage earners to Mount Vernon.
There is no fooling around. For the first time, the City is prepared to borrow against its own bank account balances to cover overhead (salaries and expenses) as 2017 winds down. This is troubling.
The opposition to the tax increase cites the fact Mount Vernon owns buildings and keeps a paid staff as examples of financial foolishness. But those are the very things we expect – demand – from our local government. Those courthouse buildings, roads and culverts are getting older and more outdated and need replaced. And quality personnel at the City – who often go above and beyond our society’s negative stereotypes in performing their government work – need to be retained with appropriate salaries and health and retirement benefits.
I urge voters to support the City’s requested income tax increase next Tuesday.
Jeffry Harris
Mount Vernon