$100,000 for a squad car and $3,500 for a fire hydrant? Soaring costs, tax limitations put cities from all over the state in financial squeezes; city can't let parks, services deteriorate
Who would want to move here? One look at how our city is run by the new bloc of four and the decisions they’ve made, the laws they’ve broken, and their appalling lack of education and experience will certainly make newcomers think twice about living here. And if they think any of our failing infrastructure will be fixed, the joke’s on them. For those of us who live here, get ready to get into a DIY mode when the city can’t afford to fix what’s broken.
Well schucks folks, Andre laid it out succinctly and clearly. Longview and let me expand the issue of concern to all County communities since i don't live, and thankfully in LV, simple fact is folks in every community expects better services in everything from cops to parks to infrastructure. And they want all the "Wealth of things made better" in their communities to be accomplished without their having the only source of funding available to cities to provide these "Betterments" increased, namely taxes and fees.
The fact is, most of us live in cities and those cities have to be maintained. We need employees to do that job and we need employees to simply make our cities function administratively. We need cops to keep us safe, well, at least try to and they need equipment. We want shelter for those who don't have it and food for those who have none.
We want so many things including an organized society in our cities and that means funding to not just maintain them, but to improve them. The reality is, it all comes down to money.
And to be specific to LV, and I admit I am not entitled to share my thoughts, but will offer anyway. I'm concerned that only 6 folks tuned in to KLTV or later watched the Dec 5th budget mtg and only a handful of folks actually attended such a consequential mtg.
Folks, and this is true of all cities, ask anyone if they want to pay more in taxes or fees, and obviously, the answer will be no. Ask them if they want better streets, better parks, increased safety, better schools, better everything and I'm guessing the answer is yes.
Above all please don't ask me how to solve the dilemma of everyone wanting more and better in our cities but we don't wanna pay more to make it happen. I don't have the slightest idea.
Well, maybe I do have one, if you want better, even maintain what your have, regardless of city, its gonna have to include paying more.
"Overall, salaries and benefits will increase from $26.9 million in 2021 to $34.7 million by 2026, a 29% boost over five years." I wonder how many people in the private sector are getting paid 29 percent more money than they were five years ago.
You want quality people on city payroll, you gotta pay them. Every city competes to secure the best staff possible with every other city to operate with the most efficiency possible.
Here's a fun fact. Kelso has filled open staff positions in the past year with highly qualified staff who left LV because they saw Kelso as a better place to work and they could accomplish more. Certainly it wasn't all about money---seems people don't like to work in chaos.
Seems to me that the Mint Valkey golf course is a luxury the city can no longer afford. Sell the land and build something that will generate tax revenue instead of being a drain on the city.
While streets fail, water sucks, other public parks need improvements, etc., not to mention fewer and fewer folks take up golf locally and fact is, there has been no increase in Mint usage in the last 3 years. Heck, trying to play Mint in the winter is challenging. I like mint when it playable, and t is a reasonable course, cost wise to play. But to keep it, improve it, fees gotta go up or city has to increase its funding.
And folks, Mint and racquet courts ain't gonna attract professionals here. Case in point, Peace Health can't even get enuf Doctors to staff.
Who would want to move here? One look at how our city is run by the new bloc of four and the decisions they’ve made, the laws they’ve broken, and their appalling lack of education and experience will certainly make newcomers think twice about living here. And if they think any of our failing infrastructure will be fixed, the joke’s on them. For those of us who live here, get ready to get into a DIY mode when the city can’t afford to fix what’s broken.
Well schucks folks, Andre laid it out succinctly and clearly. Longview and let me expand the issue of concern to all County communities since i don't live, and thankfully in LV, simple fact is folks in every community expects better services in everything from cops to parks to infrastructure. And they want all the "Wealth of things made better" in their communities to be accomplished without their having the only source of funding available to cities to provide these "Betterments" increased, namely taxes and fees.
The fact is, most of us live in cities and those cities have to be maintained. We need employees to do that job and we need employees to simply make our cities function administratively. We need cops to keep us safe, well, at least try to and they need equipment. We want shelter for those who don't have it and food for those who have none.
We want so many things including an organized society in our cities and that means funding to not just maintain them, but to improve them. The reality is, it all comes down to money.
And to be specific to LV, and I admit I am not entitled to share my thoughts, but will offer anyway. I'm concerned that only 6 folks tuned in to KLTV or later watched the Dec 5th budget mtg and only a handful of folks actually attended such a consequential mtg.
Folks, and this is true of all cities, ask anyone if they want to pay more in taxes or fees, and obviously, the answer will be no. Ask them if they want better streets, better parks, increased safety, better schools, better everything and I'm guessing the answer is yes.
Above all please don't ask me how to solve the dilemma of everyone wanting more and better in our cities but we don't wanna pay more to make it happen. I don't have the slightest idea.
Well, maybe I do have one, if you want better, even maintain what your have, regardless of city, its gonna have to include paying more.
"Overall, salaries and benefits will increase from $26.9 million in 2021 to $34.7 million by 2026, a 29% boost over five years." I wonder how many people in the private sector are getting paid 29 percent more money than they were five years ago.
You want quality people on city payroll, you gotta pay them. Every city competes to secure the best staff possible with every other city to operate with the most efficiency possible.
Here's a fun fact. Kelso has filled open staff positions in the past year with highly qualified staff who left LV because they saw Kelso as a better place to work and they could accomplish more. Certainly it wasn't all about money---seems people don't like to work in chaos.
Seems to me that the Mint Valkey golf course is a luxury the city can no longer afford. Sell the land and build something that will generate tax revenue instead of being a drain on the city.
Affordable golf and indoor racquet sports add to “quality of place,” which is an important consideration in recruiting professionals for local jobs.
While streets fail, water sucks, other public parks need improvements, etc., not to mention fewer and fewer folks take up golf locally and fact is, there has been no increase in Mint usage in the last 3 years. Heck, trying to play Mint in the winter is challenging. I like mint when it playable, and t is a reasonable course, cost wise to play. But to keep it, improve it, fees gotta go up or city has to increase its funding.
And folks, Mint and racquet courts ain't gonna attract professionals here. Case in point, Peace Health can't even get enuf Doctors to staff.
Agreed, but there are 2 other golf courses in town. Think of what the city could do with that income.
Not to mention the golf course needs a multi-million dollar upgrade for the irrigation system.