Postpone building City Hall

I was planning on writing a letter thanking Chuck Martin for his excellent letter justifying moving the new City Hall to re-unite it with the police department and the fire department until I read the Sunday Daily Inter Lake.

YIPES. Our city government plans to spend $66 million, that’s right, MILLION in the next fiscal year. That’s $11,000 per person in Whitefish! Yes, Grandpa Whiskers at the Springs will owe $11,000! Your darling granddaughter born two days ago also will owe $11,000. Every man, woman and child will owe $11,000 and here’s why.

Remember the recession we had over the last few years? Fellow Whitefish workers took pay cuts and many lost their jobs. That’s what happens in a recession and it is how local companies worked to get through the recession. No one saw it coming and it was a deep recession.

On the other hand, the city has known for several years that property tax revenue was going to drop. Did it set aside money? Apparently not!

What is the council’s solution? Let’s build a negative-revenue producing glam City Hall and a free parking area. POSTPONE it now. That would save $14.4 million of the $66 million (more if the land were sold to tax-generating businesses. The council plans to hire a half dozen new hires (city employees probably average $75,000 per year for salary and benefits). No new hires, please. Pay raises for city employees are planned — not until you balance the budget!

How does the city plan to beat its deficit? Surprise, by raising everyone’s property rate by several mills!

Did you enjoy paying for the private sector recession? Probably not, but the City Council wants you to pay for it again. Contact your local city council representative and thank him/her for the opportunity.

— Richard Atkinson, Whitefish