The Mayor and city council may mean well, but in the last couple of years it is my impression (and the impression of many citizens) that they are trying to do way too much with the city’s limited resources and tax base. Let me cite a few examples.
The liquor store debacle: Why be in the liquor business at all? The present municipal liquor store made sense in the past and generated good revenue for the city. In the last several years, in the face of more competition, revenues have steadily declined. To take on a significant amount of debt ($3-6M) to build a new liquor store simply does not make sense. The profits generated will not be nearly enough to pay the debt on a new building and return a profit to the city.
Downtown development: Consultants, at considerable expense, have been dreaming big and talking up downtown public-private partnerships. However, these partnerships have not materialized and the public is bearing the cost. Bridge Square, in particular, is out of control, with a budget that has gone from $2 million to $7.5 million. We should have a simpler, less costly plan!
Bike lanes on city streets well beyond the need. Bikers, myself included, can safely ride on a painted bike lane. The cost of paint is significantly less than the cost of concrete dividers which are confusing to drivers and bicyclists and are hard to maintain, hard to plow, and take up more of the street than necessary for our traffic levels. With the direction the council has taken with the bike lanes, a significant portion of our citizens have switched from being supportive of bicycle riders into angry upset people who no longer support what has occurred.
Expensive consultants: Over the last year and a half the city has spent almost $2 million on consultants. Consultants come in with lofty ideas and suggest solutions that are well beyond what is needed or what the city can actually afford. We have a well paid city staff. Let’s have them do the thinking rather than costly outsiders.
Excessive and unsustainable property tax increases: A progressive city should see modest tax increases on a somewhat regular basis. However it is unconscionable to increase taxes nearly 10% every year. The council is making it unsustainably expensive to run a business or own a home in our community.
A lack of careful forward thinking on financial planning: Every project the city considers should have a return on investment (ROI) analysis done before the project is started and must consider both the public good and the financial aspects of a project. The city would do well to ask an independent group of citizens with financial expertise in an advisory capacity to test a projects business plan and help to understand both the short and long-term financial consequences if a project is undertaken.
Conclusion: Northfielders want a progressive City and a government that will provide good basic services. But we also want moderation about public spending and debt. The result of actions taken by the council over the past two years has resulted in deep distrust in the community. Let us get back to a time when the citizens can again say “this is a well-run city, and we are proud of the people we have elected to govern it”.
Printed with permission: Dr. Charles Kyte