Council To Consider Utility Rate Hikes

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Fairhope, Alabama


Facebook poll


 UNOFFICIAL POLL NOT IN FAVOR

An online  poll conducted by the Times recently indicated little support for utility rate hikes to pay for necessary (utility) upgrades the city council will consider during its regular meeting this week;  those participating indicated a preference for spending cuts instead.

Some utility profits are transferred to the city's general fund, to help run other city departments.


POSSIBLE CUTS?

Also on the agenda (coincidentally?) is extending the contract for installing the annual holiday lights in the trees downtown for $147, 800; this is one item that has been mentioned over the years for possible spending cuts, but never followed through on. (The lights last only one season, cannot be re-used.)

Other possible spending reductions mentioned periodically:

* Subsidies to Baldwin County Schools mostly for recreation: about $900K/year.

* Subsidies for the airport mostly for debt service: about $490K/year average. ($534K in 2015, $320K this year.)

* Reducing garbage pick up to once a week saving about $600K/year.

* Reduce spending on flowers.




Comments

Anonymous said…
The transfer of cash from the utilitily funds was in excess of $3 million, the last time I reviewed the city's financial statements. Our electrical grid needed upgrading for several years. Part of the issue may be a need for updated equipment, but I believe growth in the area serviced by the electric utility is the major cause of the upgrade request. The city should have been using those profits to create replacement reserves in the past, but elected to transfer the money to the city general fund. A subdivision or house should not be built without payment of a significant amount to pay for the extra demand on the electrical system--long time residents should not be paying for new construction electrical requirements. Costs of this are not only the expense of putting in the transformers and lines but also the requirement for other additional equipment. Regardless, there are many areas in the city budget that could be reduced. Schools are not a function of city government and funding should be eliminated. Of course Mayor Wilson indicated that she did not need the advice and assistance of a city finance committee--We can't get a City Manager soon enough!!!
Saturday, July 07, 2018
Anonymous said…
Well lets see,way too many flowers consistently replanted,tree light reduction,actual enforcement of traffic laws and issue citations for speeding ,illegal parking in handicapped areas,and parking in the middle of the street.The speeding citations on Fairhope Ave ,Morphy ,Section street would pay quite a lot.Stop using city employees for the mayors help at office and business.Sell the Airport and surrounding city owned lands (triangle)to reduce unused land expenditures.
Saturday, July 07, 2018
Anonymous said…
is this group capable of making an imprtant decision like this?
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
Good point. Our City Council is self-absorbed and so full of their own self-importance that I don't believe they are capable of making good decisions about anything. The fact that we find ourselves in this position after many years of Jack Burrell and Kevin Boone (now aided by the willful ignorance of Brown) proves that they are the wrong people to be trusted with Fairhope's checkbook. We desperately need a City Manager; until then Burrell should step aside.
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
Wilson is the one who needs to step down.
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
"Is this group capable of making an important decision like this"? I am uncertain which group you are referring. If you mean persons posting on this page, you are probably correct because most lack sufficient information about the city's financial situation to make related recommendations; however, there are some common sense suggestions worthy of consideration some of which have been mentioned on this website. If you mean City Council, you are also correct because they have demonstrated a lack of financial knowledge that is incomprehensible. Our city council for years has deferred action on our electrical system while approving purchase of the airport property and other frivilous matters. They have failed to govern and demonstrate the check and balances supposedly inherent in our current form of government. This city needs an experienced City Manager with a masters degree in public administration and significant experience as a ciy manager, and the first thing that individual should do is retain a Certified Public Accountant as Director of Finance with experience in governmental accounting.
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
Wilson is new; the infrastructure problems have been on-going and getting worse every year. Also, she has no vote on how the Council spends money. This is clearly a Council issue; by the way, Wilson is supportive of a City Manager, unlike the Council. They don't want to lose their power by having anyone else decide how tax dollars are spent.
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
During the last year the mayor(and others) has committed several felonies and the DA refuses to take the case to a grand jury.This is the biggest problem in the city county and state.The lack of actual enforcement.Several are using their office for personal gain in the city as well as the county and no is or will do anything about it.The register voters are the problem.Less than 23% of register voters showed at the primary with 88% above the age of 60 and 3300 were dismissed due to so called smudges on the ballets.So it is what it is now and very little will change,even if the city changes it's form of governance.The city manger will still work for the mayor.So all of the petitions in world won't remove the corruption.
Sunday, July 08, 2018
Anonymous said…
In many cases, breaking a law is not actually a crime unless it is done intentionally; otherwise it is just a mistake.
Monday, July 09, 2018
Anonymous said…
Mistakes are a CRIME.The biggest crime is lack of enforcement by a system that requires paytaitous gratuitous.A good lawyer knows the law and a better one knows the judge.
Monday, July 09, 2018
Anonymous said…
The City Manager will not work for the Mayor. He/She will be hired by a collective decision among the Council & Mayor but will not report to of any of them directly, only to the Body as a whole. As far as the Mayor committing felonies, I am sure that she has not done anything as harmful to Fairhope as Jack Burrell has daily.
Monday, July 09, 2018
Anonymous said…
City councils and city committees routinely committ felonies to circumvent state open meeting laws, to hide what they are doing from the public.
Monday, July 09, 2018
Anonymous said…
lock em up! lock em all up!!
Monday, July 09, 2018
Anonymous said…
they are already talking about buying land for more ball fields to.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
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