- Bigger % increases on low income families than higher ones?
- Taxing champions --- AGAIN! When people are hurting?
Leads all Broward tax authorities in the tax increases for residents!
- Bad economics--- how are people to increase spending and job
creation locally if the Cooper City government takes more of their
squeezed incomes?
Hard to believe? Yet that is what 4 commission members and some on the staff seem to be supporting.
1. Their tax/fee package will result in those with lower valued homes paying a bigger % increase than those of us with higher valued homes.
A sample of 13 homes shows the following % increases in Cooper City taxes
Market value per Tax Appraiser % Cooper City % increase all other
tax increase Broward govs
$100,000 to $199,999 6.9 (1.8)
$200,000 to $299,999 4.4 (2.1)
$300,000 plus 3.2 (3.1)
So, Cooper City is raising taxes and fees while the others are decreasing them.
Taxing champions AGAIN! AND, hitting the lower income folks hardest.
Taxes include the normal property taxes and the fire assessment “fee”. Re: the
Fire assessment “fee’: to paraphrase Harry Truman.
"If it is on your tax bill, looks like a tax, is collected like a tax and you pay it with the same check, it’s a tax."
This form of taxation is called regressive taxation, where you hit the lower income people by a higher % than those with higher incomes.
I doubt that 5 % of Americans support this or believe it to be just and moral.
2. Bad economic policy. It is a form of Cooper City economic de-stimulus.
We all know the hard times many of our people face. Governments taking more purchasing power out of the hands of consumers will decrease consumer spending and job creation. It will add its bit to our economic problems. You can count on a major fraction of the tax increase resulting in lower local consumer spending, jobs and sales.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Cooper City Candidates Fall Victim To Political Smear Campaign
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cooper City Candidates Fall Victim To Political Smear Campaign
Candidates say their fiscal conservatism is challenging the political establishment
October 29, 2010, Cooper City, Florida - John Sims and David Nall, two candidates vying for seats on the commission in the small bedroom community of Cooper City, Florida are saying that the mudslinging which is occurring in their bid for the Cooper City commission, rivals that of some of the nationwide races.
“It’s really pathetic that people would stoop to this level,” said David Nall whose opponent is currently the incumbent. “I had no idea that things could sink this low in a municipal race.” If anyone has a gripe, it is Nall. Several months ago the Cooper City Commission voted to have background checks performed on all candidates, an act initiated by Mayor Debby Eisinger. According to Nall, his background check came back indicating that he had been guilty of credit card fraud.
The problem? Nall had no such blemish on his record. Before the city could even review and subsequently redact the false information, several people, including Mayor Debby Eisinger, made a public request for it. Nall says, “Word quickly spread and some people, a few of which were supporters of my opponent, distributed the misinformation.” Within days, City Clerk Susan Poling issued a public apology to Nall which was posted on the City website. Additionally, Commissioner Neal De Jesus also apologized on behalf of the city at the next Commission meeting, but that didn’t prevent the story from making local and national news.
Commissioner John Sims, who is running for reelection has also been in crosshairs of the same political operatives. “I’ve actually been a target since my first election,” said Sims. Sims is referring to the drinking and dining scandal that ultimately was responsible for unseating all but Mayor Debby Eisinger. Sims, a private citizen at the time, helped bring to light the practice of the sitting commissioners in which they would eat and drink on the taxpayers of Cooper City’s dime prior to commission meetings. “Obviously, when you call attention to wrongdoing, people like to take the attention off of themselves by attacking the messenger,” Sims said.
During his first election bid four years ago, people anonymously published a 16 year old complaint filed by Sims’ former wife along with his social security number and distributed it around the city. And according to Sims, they are at it again. “My wife received a robo call in which they were attacking my character once again with this 20 year old information.” Sims also confirmed that other supporters of his had received the same call. “They have also been harassing organizations of which I am a part and also disseminating misinformation online and in print,” said Sims. “They hate what I stand for so much they will stop at nothing,” Sims added.
Both Sims and Nall are fiscal conservatives with extensive business and finance backgrounds. Daniel Barrett, who is running for the District 3 seat recently vacated by Commissioner Neal DeJesus, is also a successful businessman with a similar background to Sims and Nall. According to records, Sims’ opponents are a School Board employee and a businessman who has deep ties to current Mayor Debby Eisinger, whom Sims believes is the “Maestro behind this orchestration of misinformation.” Nall’s opponent is a sitting commissioner who is married to a municipal employee in a neighboring city. While she is very involved in the community, she brings little business experience to the dais, according to Nall. “Both camps are pulling out all the stops.
They are attacking us at public meetings, passing out literature, harassing local businesses who display our signs and demeaning us through social media outlets. All I can say is they must be nervous,” said Nall. “This election comes down to one thing. If you want more bureaucracy and more government waste then vote for our opponents. But if the citizens of Cooper City want business people who will trim municipal waste and run the city like a business then vote for us,” said Sims. “It really is just that simple,” Nall said. Sims added, “Who would you rather have representing you, the political establishment or business professionals who clearly understand what needs to be done? Let the voters decide.”
John Sims can be reached by going to http://www.keepsims.com, and David Nall can be contacted by going to http://www.davidanall.com
###
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cooper City Candidates Fall Victim To Political Smear Campaign
Candidates say their fiscal conservatism is challenging the political establishment
October 29, 2010, Cooper City, Florida - John Sims and David Nall, two candidates vying for seats on the commission in the small bedroom community of Cooper City, Florida are saying that the mudslinging which is occurring in their bid for the Cooper City commission, rivals that of some of the nationwide races.
“It’s really pathetic that people would stoop to this level,” said David Nall whose opponent is currently the incumbent. “I had no idea that things could sink this low in a municipal race.” If anyone has a gripe, it is Nall. Several months ago the Cooper City Commission voted to have background checks performed on all candidates, an act initiated by Mayor Debby Eisinger. According to Nall, his background check came back indicating that he had been guilty of credit card fraud.
The problem? Nall had no such blemish on his record. Before the city could even review and subsequently redact the false information, several people, including Mayor Debby Eisinger, made a public request for it. Nall says, “Word quickly spread and some people, a few of which were supporters of my opponent, distributed the misinformation.” Within days, City Clerk Susan Poling issued a public apology to Nall which was posted on the City website. Additionally, Commissioner Neal De Jesus also apologized on behalf of the city at the next Commission meeting, but that didn’t prevent the story from making local and national news.
Commissioner John Sims, who is running for reelection has also been in crosshairs of the same political operatives. “I’ve actually been a target since my first election,” said Sims. Sims is referring to the drinking and dining scandal that ultimately was responsible for unseating all but Mayor Debby Eisinger. Sims, a private citizen at the time, helped bring to light the practice of the sitting commissioners in which they would eat and drink on the taxpayers of Cooper City’s dime prior to commission meetings. “Obviously, when you call attention to wrongdoing, people like to take the attention off of themselves by attacking the messenger,” Sims said.
During his first election bid four years ago, people anonymously published a 16 year old complaint filed by Sims’ former wife along with his social security number and distributed it around the city. And according to Sims, they are at it again. “My wife received a robo call in which they were attacking my character once again with this 20 year old information.” Sims also confirmed that other supporters of his had received the same call. “They have also been harassing organizations of which I am a part and also disseminating misinformation online and in print,” said Sims. “They hate what I stand for so much they will stop at nothing,” Sims added.
Both Sims and Nall are fiscal conservatives with extensive business and finance backgrounds. Daniel Barrett, who is running for the District 3 seat recently vacated by Commissioner Neal DeJesus, is also a successful businessman with a similar background to Sims and Nall. According to records, Sims’ opponents are a School Board employee and a businessman who has deep ties to current Mayor Debby Eisinger, whom Sims believes is the “Maestro behind this orchestration of misinformation.” Nall’s opponent is a sitting commissioner who is married to a municipal employee in a neighboring city. While she is very involved in the community, she brings little business experience to the dais, according to Nall. “Both camps are pulling out all the stops.
They are attacking us at public meetings, passing out literature, harassing local businesses who display our signs and demeaning us through social media outlets. All I can say is they must be nervous,” said Nall. “This election comes down to one thing. If you want more bureaucracy and more government waste then vote for our opponents. But if the citizens of Cooper City want business people who will trim municipal waste and run the city like a business then vote for us,” said Sims. “It really is just that simple,” Nall said. Sims added, “Who would you rather have representing you, the political establishment or business professionals who clearly understand what needs to be done? Let the voters decide.”
John Sims can be reached by going to http://www.keepsims.com, and David Nall can be contacted by going to http://www.davidanall.com
###
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Cooper City....Tax Champs
An Open letter from Ed Wooley
"YOUR BIGGEST TAX INCREASE IS COMING FROM YOUR COOPER CITY GOVERNMENT"
Yes, Cooper City is leading the tax hikes on your county tax notice! The Commission is proposing larger hits than the scandal-ridden school district and Broward County commission.
Proof? Like most of you, Broward County’s appraiser reduced my residence’s market value by 14% and State law increased my assessed values by 2.7%. That is typical. Here are the hard dollar numbers ranked by dollar increase for my home.
TAXES and FEES _____Tax Year_____________ Difference
______________2009____ 2010______$______%
Cooper City___ $1,206.87__$1,328.59__ $121.72_ 10.1
County Comm _$1,194.29__ $1,299.63__ $105.34_ 8.8
School district _$1,832.63__ $1,937.90__$105.27__5.7
Total _______$4,827.93___$5,214.26__$386.83_ 8.0
(small Items Not shown)
The biggest % increase in Cooper City’s taxes/fees is the Fire Assessment Fee—18.8%.
So, the big winners in the tax race seem to be our mayor and those commissioners and staff who are supporting such large increases. Remember, the cost of living index for property tax purposes is only 2.7%. Why is our city raising taxes by an additional 7.4%? Do you feel it is justified in these difficult economic times?
Think about the hurt to retirees on fixed incomes, to those living on social security, to the under and unemployed and to the residents living on modest incomes. For many, the impact can be the cost of two weeks of groceries or months of prescriptions. In these hard economic times, it is simply immoral to treat a large percentage of our neighbors this way. Particularly when it is not necessary to achieve a responsible city budget.
I urge you to let the Commission know quickly what you think about them being the tax champions. Contact info: mayor, commissioners and city manager
(954) 434-4300
Mayor: Mayor_eisinger@coopercityfl.org. Generally votes for $ tax increases
Mr. Curran: Commissioner_Curran@coopercityfl.org. Same as the Mayor
Mr. deJesus: Commissioner_dejesus@coopercityfl.org.
Has opposed some increases. Often open-minded. Fire fee sponsor
Ms. Mallozzi: Commissioner_Mallozzi@coopercityfl.org.
Opposed millage rate increase. Generally votes to raise city revenues. A leader in pushing for red light cameras.
Mr. Sims: Commissioner_Sims@coopercityfl.org.
Generally opposes tax and fee increases. Often the only one.
Mr. Loucks: Bloucks@coopercityfl,org. Proposes tax/fee increases in the budget.
City manager, He has no vote.
Respectfully, Ed Wooley Phone (954)433-1039 ed.wooley@comcast.net
"YOUR BIGGEST TAX INCREASE IS COMING FROM YOUR COOPER CITY GOVERNMENT"
Yes, Cooper City is leading the tax hikes on your county tax notice! The Commission is proposing larger hits than the scandal-ridden school district and Broward County commission.
Proof? Like most of you, Broward County’s appraiser reduced my residence’s market value by 14% and State law increased my assessed values by 2.7%. That is typical. Here are the hard dollar numbers ranked by dollar increase for my home.
TAXES and FEES _____Tax Year_____________ Difference
______________2009____ 2010______$______%
Cooper City___ $1,206.87__$1,328.59__ $121.72_ 10.1
County Comm _$1,194.29__ $1,299.63__ $105.34_ 8.8
School district _$1,832.63__ $1,937.90__$105.27__5.7
Total _______$4,827.93___$5,214.26__$386.83_ 8.0
(small Items Not shown)
The biggest % increase in Cooper City’s taxes/fees is the Fire Assessment Fee—18.8%.
So, the big winners in the tax race seem to be our mayor and those commissioners and staff who are supporting such large increases. Remember, the cost of living index for property tax purposes is only 2.7%. Why is our city raising taxes by an additional 7.4%? Do you feel it is justified in these difficult economic times?
Think about the hurt to retirees on fixed incomes, to those living on social security, to the under and unemployed and to the residents living on modest incomes. For many, the impact can be the cost of two weeks of groceries or months of prescriptions. In these hard economic times, it is simply immoral to treat a large percentage of our neighbors this way. Particularly when it is not necessary to achieve a responsible city budget.
I urge you to let the Commission know quickly what you think about them being the tax champions. Contact info: mayor, commissioners and city manager
(954) 434-4300
Mayor: Mayor_eisinger@coopercityfl.org. Generally votes for $ tax increases
Mr. Curran: Commissioner_Curran@coopercityfl.org. Same as the Mayor
Mr. deJesus: Commissioner_dejesus@coopercityfl.org.
Has opposed some increases. Often open-minded. Fire fee sponsor
Ms. Mallozzi: Commissioner_Mallozzi@coopercityfl.org.
Opposed millage rate increase. Generally votes to raise city revenues. A leader in pushing for red light cameras.
Mr. Sims: Commissioner_Sims@coopercityfl.org.
Generally opposes tax and fee increases. Often the only one.
Mr. Loucks: Bloucks@coopercityfl,org. Proposes tax/fee increases in the budget.
City manager, He has no vote.
Respectfully, Ed Wooley Phone (954)433-1039 ed.wooley@comcast.net
Sunday, June 6, 2010
An Answer to the CAFR Question:
An Answer to the CAFR Question:
Do I really care what the CAFR says?
(Appearently the recent Cooper City Commission meeting on the CAFR has caused some to ask the question. One of our readers sent the following to me in an email. After a couple of email exchanges the sender agreed to allow me to print what you see. He is a resident of a city in Northern Florida.)
In answer to your question (insert your name here), yeah we should care but apparently very few of us even know about these things and most people won't believe you when you try to tell them. About a year or so ago I learned about these things and set myself to find out if it were true if it took the rest of my life.
The first item I learned about was the US treasury's book keeping system. That budget they are always so upset about is the biggest money scam in the history of book keeping. If a private business kept its books like the US government keeps theirs it wouldn't last out a year.
Here is the business way to keep a set of books.
At the end of every year along about tax time a smart business man will work up what is known as a trial balance. Here all the company's assets are listed in one column and its liabilities in another. The liabilities are subtracted from the assets and the difference is what the company is worth at that particular time. Now he takes a look at last year's budget and if there happens to be a surplus it is carried forward to the current year. He already knows what his budget was for the year before so he subtracts the surplus from that. This tells him how much it cost him to run his business for the year just ended. Then he adds up his total sales for the year just ended, subtracts his overhead from the total sales and the difference is profit, the amount he must pay taxes on to keep the IRS off his back. Now he checks his sales receipts over the past three to five years adds up those figures, divides them by the number of years and comes up with a pretty good idea of what his sales will be during the coming year. Now he takes the projected sales figure subtracts last year's budget, the surpluses have been carried forward already, and comes up with a pretty good idea of what his budget should be for the coming year.
Now here is the government's way of keeping books.
Number one there is no trial balance as far as the public is concerned. Any budget surpluses at the end of a fiscal year are not carried forward nor even so much as figured in to the government's assets, at least not in the budget process. Their new year's budget is figured on projected revenues only, that's the taxes we pay. Yep they do have the projected expenditures for the new year and they also have the expected revenues for the new fiscal year. Now they simply subtract the expected expenditures from expected revenues and low and behold the expected expenditures are considerably more than the expected revenues. There is going to be another deficit so what do they do? Uh huh you guessed it, they raise our taxes in some vain attempt to fill the gap but for some unknown reason the gap never does get quite filled and so, at the end of almost every fiscal year since I've been born the published story has been raise taxes. Thus the budget process is nothing more than a political scam a and rip off of the working and small business people.
The CAFR (Their Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) is another set of books all together.
It does include a trial balance and when it is received by the politicians and bureaucrats they know exactly how much profit the government and the big banksters made last year. Contrary to what we the people have been told (at least) since the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt there has been budget surpluses at all levels of this government. I had to make up to one of the ugliest damn women this world has ever produced to get it but I have a copy of this County's CAFR for 2004. I wanted the current one but this county is four years behind on its CAFRs so I had no choice but to accept what I could get. However, though it doesn't give me the current totals it does tell me that we the people are being ripped off ten ways from Sunday by this government at all levels.
For instance; according to the CAFR I have in my possession the road and bridge department in this county had a surplus of over one million bucks in 2004. All the other departments had varying amounts of money left over that year but the County's budget was desperately overdrawn. If my memory is serving me right, there was a three million dollar budget surplus for this county in 2004. Yet we've had one tax increase since then and would have had more but for the state's Tabor law, all the fees in this county and in the state have been increased twice over that period.
For instance: in 2004 it cost me $24.00 to register my car. In 2009 that fee was $78.00 and the bastards are still yelling budget deficit. Yep the CAFR will tell you the whole truth about this nation's finances, but the budget process won't and that's the one they throw at us every year. Now what do they do with all the excess cash? It is salted away in a special secret fund that we the people will never hear about, in 2004 for instance there was 7 billion bux salted away in this state alone and that was at state level. The Counties, cities and other goverment departments have money also that none of the current incumbents has ever seen. But believe me brothers and sisters they know it is there and they hope it will be available to them when the SHTF.
Do I really care what the CAFR says?
(Appearently the recent Cooper City Commission meeting on the CAFR has caused some to ask the question. One of our readers sent the following to me in an email. After a couple of email exchanges the sender agreed to allow me to print what you see. He is a resident of a city in Northern Florida.)
In answer to your question (insert your name here), yeah we should care but apparently very few of us even know about these things and most people won't believe you when you try to tell them. About a year or so ago I learned about these things and set myself to find out if it were true if it took the rest of my life.
The first item I learned about was the US treasury's book keeping system. That budget they are always so upset about is the biggest money scam in the history of book keeping. If a private business kept its books like the US government keeps theirs it wouldn't last out a year.
Here is the business way to keep a set of books.
At the end of every year along about tax time a smart business man will work up what is known as a trial balance. Here all the company's assets are listed in one column and its liabilities in another. The liabilities are subtracted from the assets and the difference is what the company is worth at that particular time. Now he takes a look at last year's budget and if there happens to be a surplus it is carried forward to the current year. He already knows what his budget was for the year before so he subtracts the surplus from that. This tells him how much it cost him to run his business for the year just ended. Then he adds up his total sales for the year just ended, subtracts his overhead from the total sales and the difference is profit, the amount he must pay taxes on to keep the IRS off his back. Now he checks his sales receipts over the past three to five years adds up those figures, divides them by the number of years and comes up with a pretty good idea of what his sales will be during the coming year. Now he takes the projected sales figure subtracts last year's budget, the surpluses have been carried forward already, and comes up with a pretty good idea of what his budget should be for the coming year.
Now here is the government's way of keeping books.
Number one there is no trial balance as far as the public is concerned. Any budget surpluses at the end of a fiscal year are not carried forward nor even so much as figured in to the government's assets, at least not in the budget process. Their new year's budget is figured on projected revenues only, that's the taxes we pay. Yep they do have the projected expenditures for the new year and they also have the expected revenues for the new fiscal year. Now they simply subtract the expected expenditures from expected revenues and low and behold the expected expenditures are considerably more than the expected revenues. There is going to be another deficit so what do they do? Uh huh you guessed it, they raise our taxes in some vain attempt to fill the gap but for some unknown reason the gap never does get quite filled and so, at the end of almost every fiscal year since I've been born the published story has been raise taxes. Thus the budget process is nothing more than a political scam a and rip off of the working and small business people.
The CAFR (Their Comprehensive Annual Financial Report) is another set of books all together.
It does include a trial balance and when it is received by the politicians and bureaucrats they know exactly how much profit the government and the big banksters made last year. Contrary to what we the people have been told (at least) since the days of Franklin Delano Roosevelt there has been budget surpluses at all levels of this government. I had to make up to one of the ugliest damn women this world has ever produced to get it but I have a copy of this County's CAFR for 2004. I wanted the current one but this county is four years behind on its CAFRs so I had no choice but to accept what I could get. However, though it doesn't give me the current totals it does tell me that we the people are being ripped off ten ways from Sunday by this government at all levels.
For instance; according to the CAFR I have in my possession the road and bridge department in this county had a surplus of over one million bucks in 2004. All the other departments had varying amounts of money left over that year but the County's budget was desperately overdrawn. If my memory is serving me right, there was a three million dollar budget surplus for this county in 2004. Yet we've had one tax increase since then and would have had more but for the state's Tabor law, all the fees in this county and in the state have been increased twice over that period.
For instance: in 2004 it cost me $24.00 to register my car. In 2009 that fee was $78.00 and the bastards are still yelling budget deficit. Yep the CAFR will tell you the whole truth about this nation's finances, but the budget process won't and that's the one they throw at us every year. Now what do they do with all the excess cash? It is salted away in a special secret fund that we the people will never hear about, in 2004 for instance there was 7 billion bux salted away in this state alone and that was at state level. The Counties, cities and other goverment departments have money also that none of the current incumbents has ever seen. But believe me brothers and sisters they know it is there and they hope it will be available to them when the SHTF.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
A Misplaced comment
It appears as though a comment had not been posted last year. We regret that we missed it. It is hereby published for your information at this time....
Anonymous said...
Last nights Commission meeting highlights: Commissioner Sims asked the commission to discuss the city attorney budget already over budget by approximately$72,000.00 and the monthly billing on an average of approximately $27,000.00 with four months of billing remaining. The commission voted 4 to 1 NOT to address the potential overage of $180,000.00 for this year. Then the commission voted 3 to 2 to adjourn the meeting without giving Commissioner Sims the opportunity to speak during the
Commissioner Concerns.
The three that voted NO on both issues were Neal deJesus, James Curran and Debbie Eisinger. The city attorney, David Wolpin is a long time personal friend of Debbie Eisinger and lives on the same block as James Curran. Neither recused themselves or disclosed their relationship until exposed by resident, Diane Sori. If you want to see a real hypocrite watch the ethic commission meeting and see Neal deJesus say he is willing to start the ethic meetings early and stay as long as it takes to get through the agenda.
I'm perplexed as to why he would not give the same courtesy to the commission and citizens of Cooper City. We all have to be more careful when we vote for our public officials and do our part to try and keep them honest! Don't let corruption in a Pastors robe deceive you!!
Anonymous said...
Last nights Commission meeting highlights: Commissioner Sims asked the commission to discuss the city attorney budget already over budget by approximately$72,000.00 and the monthly billing on an average of approximately $27,000.00 with four months of billing remaining. The commission voted 4 to 1 NOT to address the potential overage of $180,000.00 for this year. Then the commission voted 3 to 2 to adjourn the meeting without giving Commissioner Sims the opportunity to speak during the
Commissioner Concerns.
The three that voted NO on both issues were Neal deJesus, James Curran and Debbie Eisinger. The city attorney, David Wolpin is a long time personal friend of Debbie Eisinger and lives on the same block as James Curran. Neither recused themselves or disclosed their relationship until exposed by resident, Diane Sori. If you want to see a real hypocrite watch the ethic commission meeting and see Neal deJesus say he is willing to start the ethic meetings early and stay as long as it takes to get through the agenda.
I'm perplexed as to why he would not give the same courtesy to the commission and citizens of Cooper City. We all have to be more careful when we vote for our public officials and do our part to try and keep them honest! Don't let corruption in a Pastors robe deceive you!!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Keep Squirreling It Away, Cooper City
Relief for Tax Payer Residents Who are Hurting in a Recession, or
Keep Squirreling It Away for “City Emergencies”/Questionable Expenditures
Judgment:
The city has well over $20 million in unrestricted surplus funds that it could use to provide tax and fee relief to a community in the depths of a severe recession.
One would think that the staff and city would be tightly controlling expenses and giving relief to the residents.
Yet, the city staff and commission have so far proposed:
1. An increase in the actual $’s most of us will pay for our home taxes---not the tax rate, just the tax dollars out of your wallet.
2. An increase in the fire assessment fee that every resident property owner will pay
3. A further 4% increase in your water fees on top of the 20.5% they have imposed since the Spring of 2008. That is a total increase of 25% in less than 2 years
4. A new expense of $3.2 million in FY 2010 to be spent on replacing water meters.
The staff proposes to borrow the money. With interest, we are talking a total cost of between $4.5 and $4.75 million.
A. One of the “benefits” of the new meters is that they will capture about 8% more of the water flow to homes that the existing meters miss. The immediate downside to residents, thanks to the new meters, is that we will show an 8% increase in water usage and will pay about 8% more for water. So, for 2010 you will pay about 12.3% more than today and a total increase of about 35% more than in early ‘08.
Comment:
Some on the commission and staff seem to believe that the city government should not touch its accumulated, very ample and excessive surpluses to provide residents with such “non-essential” things as tax and water fee relief. They seem to say that those surpluses are only to be used in “emergencies”---like hurricanes.
They certainly are not talking about making residents’ economic emergencies a priority--in a recession.
What they don’t say is that the city uses those surpluses all the time for non-emergency and favored projects. More about that in another article.
Facts about hurricane “emergencies”.
The city had to deal with hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 ( Wilma, October 2005 ). There was some wind damage in 2003/004 and considerable damage with Wilma. The city government took care of recovery, repairs and replacements of city property, trees, roads, etc. The city used some of its surplus funds, while applying for and receiving assistance---including FEMA.
Here is what the city reported to the State of Florida as its surpluses during and after those years.
2003 to 2007
Year /Surplus /Cumulative Surplus
2003 /$3,875,000 /$3,875,000
Fairly normal year. City budgets a
breakeven, but makes a surplus.
2004 /$5,052,000 /$8,927,000
Another surplus year for City
2005 /$6,469,000 /$15,396,000
City surplus increases after 2003/
2004 storm seasons. Wilma hits just
after the start of City’s FY 2006
2006 /$4,701,000 /$20,097,000
City makes a very good surplus even
while paying for Wilma.
2007 /$12,862,000 /$32,959,000
City makes a huge surplus as it
receives most FEMA recovery money.
Interpretation:
1. We have had tropical storms and hurricanes. The city has, in no way, suffered any financial “emergency” because of hurricanes. When we had a major one, the City’s surpluses actually increased.
2. Some staff and some commissioners will need to get another excuse to justify keeping tax and water fee relief from the residents in a recession, while prioritizing the surpluses for their other projects. Some good, some mediocre and some just downright silly and “pork”.
3. The city staff and commission can well afford to provide the residents:
A. a 4% reduction in the property tax rate in 2010.
B. a 4% roll-back in the current water rates and forego the planned 4% increase for 10/1/09
C. a removal of the increase in the fire assessment fee
D. a postponement of the water meter project
Best regards,
Ed Wooley
Keep Squirreling It Away for “City Emergencies”/Questionable Expenditures
Judgment:
The city has well over $20 million in unrestricted surplus funds that it could use to provide tax and fee relief to a community in the depths of a severe recession.
One would think that the staff and city would be tightly controlling expenses and giving relief to the residents.
Yet, the city staff and commission have so far proposed:
1. An increase in the actual $’s most of us will pay for our home taxes---not the tax rate, just the tax dollars out of your wallet.
2. An increase in the fire assessment fee that every resident property owner will pay
3. A further 4% increase in your water fees on top of the 20.5% they have imposed since the Spring of 2008. That is a total increase of 25% in less than 2 years
4. A new expense of $3.2 million in FY 2010 to be spent on replacing water meters.
The staff proposes to borrow the money. With interest, we are talking a total cost of between $4.5 and $4.75 million.
A. One of the “benefits” of the new meters is that they will capture about 8% more of the water flow to homes that the existing meters miss. The immediate downside to residents, thanks to the new meters, is that we will show an 8% increase in water usage and will pay about 8% more for water. So, for 2010 you will pay about 12.3% more than today and a total increase of about 35% more than in early ‘08.
Comment:
Some on the commission and staff seem to believe that the city government should not touch its accumulated, very ample and excessive surpluses to provide residents with such “non-essential” things as tax and water fee relief. They seem to say that those surpluses are only to be used in “emergencies”---like hurricanes.
They certainly are not talking about making residents’ economic emergencies a priority--in a recession.
What they don’t say is that the city uses those surpluses all the time for non-emergency and favored projects. More about that in another article.
Facts about hurricane “emergencies”.
The city had to deal with hurricanes in 2004 and 2005 ( Wilma, October 2005 ). There was some wind damage in 2003/004 and considerable damage with Wilma. The city government took care of recovery, repairs and replacements of city property, trees, roads, etc. The city used some of its surplus funds, while applying for and receiving assistance---including FEMA.
Here is what the city reported to the State of Florida as its surpluses during and after those years.
2003 to 2007
Year /Surplus /Cumulative Surplus
2003 /$3,875,000 /$3,875,000
Fairly normal year. City budgets a
breakeven, but makes a surplus.
2004 /$5,052,000 /$8,927,000
Another surplus year for City
2005 /$6,469,000 /$15,396,000
City surplus increases after 2003/
2004 storm seasons. Wilma hits just
after the start of City’s FY 2006
2006 /$4,701,000 /$20,097,000
City makes a very good surplus even
while paying for Wilma.
2007 /$12,862,000 /$32,959,000
City makes a huge surplus as it
receives most FEMA recovery money.
Interpretation:
1. We have had tropical storms and hurricanes. The city has, in no way, suffered any financial “emergency” because of hurricanes. When we had a major one, the City’s surpluses actually increased.
2. Some staff and some commissioners will need to get another excuse to justify keeping tax and water fee relief from the residents in a recession, while prioritizing the surpluses for their other projects. Some good, some mediocre and some just downright silly and “pork”.
3. The city staff and commission can well afford to provide the residents:
A. a 4% reduction in the property tax rate in 2010.
B. a 4% roll-back in the current water rates and forego the planned 4% increase for 10/1/09
C. a removal of the increase in the fire assessment fee
D. a postponement of the water meter project
Best regards,
Ed Wooley
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
You call that a Commission meeting?
Once again commission meetings in Cooper City are truly something to behold. The adjective "dysfunctional" takes on a definite new meaning. Of course some have said that incompetence, childish, orchestrated, disrespectful,acting stupidly (to borrow a phase) all seem to echo a large degree of criticism of the Commission.
While I could only view it from afar ( The Comcast marginally adequate video) it seems only fair to let one of those who was there comment. To that end the following is extracted from an email received and edited in order not to reveal the sender's identity.
(a portion of the email)
************
Tuesday night's Commission meeting was an absolute circus and a disgrace. It was an embarrassment, it was deliberately confusing, it was uncalled for and it was a deliberate attempt by the commission majority (Eisinger, De Jesus, Curran) to continue to silence residential critics of our Commission, and members of the Commission.
The main motion Sims presented on the agenda was never properly discussed and voted on due to the blatant corrupt politics, bias, inconsistencies and lack of leadership by our Mayor. Comm. Sims was half way through his time of 5 minutes when it was his turn to speak, and Debby Eisinger simply didn't like what he had to say. Yes, he had already been speaking for over 2 minutes, and he was properly recognized and had the floor.
Why can't the paper (Sun-Sentinel Online Edition) report the truth and facts!?
This is our illustrious Mayor's way of continuing to shut anyone up who doesn't agree with her or whoever she doesn't like, always running to her friend ( of 18 years & hired by the gang of three) the city attorney, which (who ED.)makes questionable comments. At least Mr. Sims isn't afraid of her and her embarrassing antics.
Mayor Eisinger is a disgrace to our city! Recall her!
*************
We can only conclude that lessons have not been learned. Ineptness, incompetence, and just plain bad behavior continues to run unbridled under the leadership of a Mayor who still is unable to conduct a meeting when the other commissioners are not the head nodders and who may have an opinion that is not in agreement and thusly speak out representing the view point of their constituency unlike that of recent past commissioners.
While I could only view it from afar ( The Comcast marginally adequate video) it seems only fair to let one of those who was there comment. To that end the following is extracted from an email received and edited in order not to reveal the sender's identity.
(a portion of the email)
************
Tuesday night's Commission meeting was an absolute circus and a disgrace. It was an embarrassment, it was deliberately confusing, it was uncalled for and it was a deliberate attempt by the commission majority (Eisinger, De Jesus, Curran) to continue to silence residential critics of our Commission, and members of the Commission.
The main motion Sims presented on the agenda was never properly discussed and voted on due to the blatant corrupt politics, bias, inconsistencies and lack of leadership by our Mayor. Comm. Sims was half way through his time of 5 minutes when it was his turn to speak, and Debby Eisinger simply didn't like what he had to say. Yes, he had already been speaking for over 2 minutes, and he was properly recognized and had the floor.
Why can't the paper (Sun-Sentinel Online Edition) report the truth and facts!?
This is our illustrious Mayor's way of continuing to shut anyone up who doesn't agree with her or whoever she doesn't like, always running to her friend ( of 18 years & hired by the gang of three) the city attorney, which (who ED.)makes questionable comments. At least Mr. Sims isn't afraid of her and her embarrassing antics.
Mayor Eisinger is a disgrace to our city! Recall her!
*************
We can only conclude that lessons have not been learned. Ineptness, incompetence, and just plain bad behavior continues to run unbridled under the leadership of a Mayor who still is unable to conduct a meeting when the other commissioners are not the head nodders and who may have an opinion that is not in agreement and thusly speak out representing the view point of their constituency unlike that of recent past commissioners.
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