How to Spend More Taxpayer Money


The Team Santiago Commissioners are spending money hand over fist with no indication about where the money is going to come from. We all know it’s going to come from increased real estate taxes. The only question is how much and when.

Team Santiago has cancelled the construction department’s shared service agreement with Upper Deerfield which by all accounts has done a good job for the city. The construction department under Upper Deerfield was run efficiently and impartially. For the first time in recent memory the department was operating in the black. When the department was run in house, it constantly ran at a deficit often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. Bringing the department back in house will mean the city will lose over $100,000 yearly. With the department in-house the city, by statute, cannot make a profit so that $100,000 is gone.  The city will also have to hire a construction official, several inspectors, and office staff. The funds will have to come from municipal taxes. There is no other choice. It’s starting to add up.

The Millville Public Library wants to double its size at a projected cost of $5.2 million. The library has some donations for the project and hopes to receive a grant also. It wants $1.5 million dollars from the City toward the project.  Is that a good investment for the real estate taxpayers of Millville? If the library fails to raise the balance will the library be back to get the more tax dollars from the City?

Remember the city is already almost $2 million dollars behind for next year due to the 109 E. Main Street demolition. If the library funds are promised when added to the construction office increased budget Millville’s taxpayers are looking at an increase of up to $4million dollars to the city’s  next budget. That is approximately a $0.26 tax increase.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I am unhappy with the way things are going. All that was done by the previous administration has been destroyed; slowly falling one by one. They keep trying to hide all they are doing until it is too late. Why! I have been ill so it is hard to even think about this but is what I feared would happen. The demons have been unleashed. Why can't people see what is happening?
September 27, 2018 at 10:50 AM
Millville Insider said…
The only way that people will see and understand what is happening is by others sharing the information. Share this blog, go to the meetings, talk to people about what is going on and finally, individuals have to vote. Thank you for your comment. Hope you feel better soon.
September 29, 2018 at 8:58 AM
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