William G. Faust Jr. is a resident of Dover.
Over the last several months, I have attended multiple Dover City Council meetings. I even attended the two-night council meeting, during which the new budget was discussed. Some things never change, and these meetings seem to be carried out the same way each month. There was discussion about not increasing taxes, but there was also discussion about the possibility of a 10% increase in our electricity rates and a possible increase in treating our water and wastewater. Note: The new city budget has not been voted on yet.
The strange thing that I notice from attending these meetings is that the mayor and council have never brought forward or discussed how to boost the revenue coming into the city’s coffers. With the uncertainty of state and federal funding during this budget cycle, you would think this would be a top priority/discussion.
I think the best example of shortsightedness occurred during the budget hearings, when the mayor and council were discussing hiring paid firefighters. The fire chief laid out his desire to hire paid staff. During his briefing, he stated why. One council member wanted to make the motion to hire two paid firefighters, but she had no idea how they would be paid. I was shocked to hear a councilwoman of the city making this recommendation, without considering how it was going to be paid for. Common sense should dictate that you review the revenue that comes in monthly/yearly and propose a sound budget from there.
I urge the mayor and council to hold the line on any tax increase, added fees or rises in our utility prices. Put through a balanced budget without any cost elevations to the citizens of Dover.
We may have to cut certain line items from the budget until our revenue sources improve. Our priority should be to ensure that necessary city services are maintained and to keep our city workers employed. The practical and smart strategy would be to fund necessary services first. It may be time for the mayor and council to start cutting the budget to a smaller size.
In a fantasy world, we would be able to purchase and get everything we desire. Well, we are not living in a fantasy city, and we need to stay within our budget.
How much more can our older adults and our poor and middle-class citizens handle? Most of our citizens live paycheck to paycheck, and all these fees and increases in utility rates and taxes are starting to take a toll.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
