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
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ANOTHER LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY

 Chief Farabella was just reappointed for another 3 years even though a lawsuit was filed against  Farabella and Pepitone by a city employee.The lawsuit is worth reading.  The allegations, if true, are startling. These allegations also raise the question should Farabella have been reappointed at this time? Did the commissioners look into the allegations prior to voting? The lawsuit involves the departments of Parent and Pepitone who both voted to reappoint Farabella. Did they do their due diligence? Of interest is line 55 in the lawsuit. It clearly states that Doug Long was performing legal duties for the city in 2019. Didn't the commissioners claim that Mr. Long was not involved in the city, only Marmero and Grace. Remember at election time the lack of transparency, the lies, the lack of due diligence and the waste of your tax payers money. Millville needs commissioners who are transparent, who do their due diligence and have the interests of the citizens of Millville at...
Read more

Team Santiago Raises Your Taxes Again!!!

It is no surprise that Team Santiago raised Millville’s taxes again. Last year it was by 4.5% and this year it is 5%.   The county and the school board also raised their taxes so the taxpayer in Millville is looking at a 10% increase in their property taxes. This comes at a time when many individuals are out of work due to COVID-19 and there is no end in sight. This affects not only the taxpayers but every citizen in Millville as landlords will have to increase rents and businesses will have to charge more to meet expenses. So what did Team Santiago have to say for themselves when they voted for the tax increase –nothing. As usual they did not answer the public’s questions and did not explain their votes. Mr. Pepitone once again voted for the tax increase even though he is behind on paying his own taxes. He should understand the burden of taxes as it seems to be a burden to him. In his ending comments Mr. Parent said this was the toughest budget he had to work with (wh...
Read more

WHO WILL FILL QUINN'S VACANT SEAT?

Now that Quinn has resigned for the second time, what happens to his empty seat? The commission has the option to appoint someone until the next election which is November 2022. Who do the new commissioners think that person should be? The last time Quinn resigned, Commissioner Sooy held fast to the belief that the person who came in 6th in the election should fill the seat. This time the 6th place person is Robert McQuade.  This is the only fair  scenario as the present commission has not even been sworn in yet. Hopefully Commissioner Sooy and the new commissioners will agree that Mr. McQuade should be appointed. Robert Mcquade put the time in to run for the office. The voters had enough faith in Mr. McQuade that he came in 6th with over 2000 votes. It seems fair that he takes the seat.  In November 2022 anyone can run for this open seat and then the voters will decide who the commissioner will be for the remaining three years.   Comment and post who you believ...
Read more