City won't pay for July Fourth events

That includes cutting city-sponsored events such as a Fourth of July gathering, Deputy Mayor Don Gilmore said.

[Rufusdakat]

Okay ...I'm breathing again. Wait, what's the catch? You mean they're not going to spend money? Okay ...just lost my breath again! Now, if they'd keep doing it I'd believe it.

[sunnydaze]

Yeah but if it was one dem Al Sharpton Dance a Thons wit Jesse's Hoodies & Thugs, they be spendin the mullah big time jest to get a shot on the Oprah show. Dats it..its not about being an American, dits bout me, TV and the camera on ME..Dat camera on me..!!

[Observer in Seminole]

The heading for this article should have read "Taxpayers won't pay for July 4th Events." The City doesn't pay for anything. Finally, taxpayers in Winter Springs are being heard.

[gatorhippy]

This is where your newly approved property tax slash bill is getting you...

The savings of a few hundred dollars for individuals translates to the loss of millions for government agencies at all levels...

Continue to expect large declines in all government services as they tighten the belt and are forced to shuffle money around for the bare necessities...

If you voted in favor of the property tax slashing bill, you have no one to point the finger at but yourself...

[Just the Facts]

As usual Winter Springs misses the point. Amendment 1 was not intended to just eliminate money thus services, it was intended as a wake up call for government to operate more efficiently. What the City is doing is punishing the taxpayers for voting to reduce property taxes and maintaining a wasteful bureaucracy. Let's start seeing some fat removed from the organization and send some dead wood packing.

[gatorhippy]

Just the Facts wrote:

As usual Winter Springs misses the point. Amendment 1 was not intended to just eliminate money thus services, it was intended as a wake up call for government to operate more efficiently. What the City is doing is punishing the taxpayers for voting to reduce property taxes and maintaining a wasteful bureaucracy. Let's start seeing some fat removed from the organization and send some dead wood packing.

I suggest you take a better look at services on all levels of government throughout the state and you'll see that it's happening everywhere...

Not just Winter Springs...

A good place to satrt would be attending your local budget hearings when they begin in the next few months...

[Godsgirl]

gatorhippy wrote:

<quoted text>
I suggest you take a better look at services on all levels of government throughout the state and you'll see that it's happening everywhere...
Not just Winter Springs...
A good place to satrt would be attending your local budget hearings when they begin in the next few months...

You're exactly right. People were told over and over and over again the problems the piddly tax refund would cause, but they listened with deaf ears. Now they are complaining about the results. Hope that big $250.00 was worth it.

[Ron Ligthart]

gatorhippy wrote:

<quoted text>
I suggest you take a better look at services on all levels of government throughout the state and you'll see that it's happening everywhere...
Not just Winter Springs...
A good place to satrt would be attending your local budget hearings when they begin in the next few months...

I suggest that you look where the money is really on pure facts. City pension plans for ALL employees were increase where after 30 years of service you can receive 90% of your pay for life. While Winter Springs had many angry residents speak, they bought a F150, F250, F350, F450 new trucks. The fire fee was "revenue neutral" but 60-80% of residents will receive tax increases. About 10% will pay the highest taxes in the county.%194,000 in consulting and implementation fees for fire fee alone.$325,000 in all consulting fees. No citizen impact fee was disclosed as I had to do it! Spend before the money is gone is the theme of government. This way you continue to grow and spend more. They actually wanted a 4-5 million dollar budget increase and now tell about a 4.3 million dollar cut. In that amount they budgeted 2 million for workforce housing. Millions in the town center but a lot less is coming out. input is greater than output. Defined benefit pension plans is what will eventually kill us all. History does repeat itself. I have the entire database for city and county records thus I know. Opinions are just that and facts tell the real story.

[USMarineCorp182]

Just the Facts wrote:

As usual Winter Springs misses the point. Amendment 1 was not intended to just eliminate money thus services, it was intended as a wake up call for government to operate more efficiently. What the City is doing is punishing the taxpayers for voting to reduce property taxes and maintaining a wasteful bureaucracy. Let's start seeing some fat removed from the organization and send some dead wood packing.

As a whole the state of Florida...including winter springs were very efficient in budgets and funding compared to other states in this country. Winter Springs, Orlando, Longwood, Altamonte, Maitland, Oviedo...cities like these even had excess to use as "luxuries". Such as these festivals, DARE programs, a 24 hour public works department to maintain the appearance and appeal each of those cities broguth... small entities that YOU as a typical citizen never realize until they are gone...then you blame it on the government's inability to manage and work efficiently? Negative Sir...Everyone except Crist himself PREACHED that Amendment 1 would just cause local, county, and even state governments to "dip" into other means to fund that lost taxation. Look what we have now, sales tax exemptions are slowly dwindling along with sales tax % increase...why? to save a few hundred dollars on property that you will LOSE just as quickly on yearly purchases...

You will now see DARE programs disappear, teachers lose jobs, a hiring FREEZE of cops and firefighters, city employee morale diminish, hearing officer programs and rehabilitation programs for traffic offenders, mentally handicapped, arrestees... and yes...you can thank the savior Mr. C"h"rist, A-1, and yourselves for the downfall. People point fingers at these issues...why can't you lock up more criminals, but we wont pay the tax for the corrections officers and guards...or hell the jail itself. Why does it take cops and FD so long to response, but you wont pay the tax to put more EMS on the street....and why oh why are my children not getting the attention they deserve ..why dont they get small class sizes..but God knows you need that property tax drop at the expensive of our teachers..

[USMarineCorp182]

Ron Ligthart wrote:

<quoted text> I suggest that you look where the money is really on pure facts. City pension plans for ALL employees were increase where after 30 years of service you can receive 90% of your pay for life. While Winter Springs had many angry residents speak, they bought a F150, F250, F350, F450 new trucks. The fire fee was "revenue neutral" but 60-80% of residents will receive tax increases. About 10% will pay the highest taxes in the county.%194,000 in consulting and implementation fees for fire fee alone.$325,000 in all consulting fees. No citizen impact fee was disclosed as I had to do it! Spend before the money is gone is the theme of government. This way you continue to grow and spend more. They actually wanted a 4-5 million dollar budget increase and now tell about a 4.3 million dollar cut. In that amount they budgeted 2 million for workforce housing. Millions in the town center but a lot less is coming out. input is greater than output. Defined benefit pension plans is what will eventually kill us all. History does repeat itself. I have the entire database for city and county records thus I know. Opinions are just that and facts tell the real story.

One thing I will agree with you on..pension and wages for council members is absolutely absurd. Council members whine about how they cannot received the necessary budget and funding yet have that nice 6 digit salary...what is the city manager at now? 140? 150? higher?

[Ron Ligthart]

USMarineCorp182 wrote:

<quoted text>
One thing I will agree with you on..pension and wages for council members is absolutely absurd. Council members whine about how they cannot received the necessary budget and funding yet have that nice 6 digit salary...what is the city manager at now? 140? 150? higher?

City Manager salary is at about $180,000. He has THREE pension plans. The huge expense with pension plans is when employees retire. At some point in time you pay for one employee on the actual payroll and possible 3-4 employees that no longer work for the city. This is what happens in NY and NJ where property taxes have reached the twilight zone. Several cities in our nation are actually going bankrupt on this. Employer contribution in Winter Springs is 13.5% and 3% for employee. The exact opposite in the private sector with a 401k.

[gatorhippy]

Ron Ligthart wrote:

<quoted text> I suggest that you look where the money is really on pure facts. City pension plans for ALL employees were increase where after 30 years of service you can receive 90% of your pay for life. While Winter Springs had many angry residents speak, they bought a F150, F250, F350, F450 new trucks. The fire fee was "revenue neutral" but 60-80% of residents will receive tax increases. About 10% will pay the highest taxes in the county.%194,000 in consulting and implementation fees for fire fee alone.$325,000 in all consulting fees. No citizen impact fee was disclosed as I had to do it! Spend before the money is gone is the theme of government. This way you continue to grow and spend more. They actually wanted a 4-5 million dollar budget increase and now tell about a 4.3 million dollar cut. In that amount they budgeted 2 million for workforce housing. Millions in the town center but a lot less is coming out. input is greater than output. Defined benefit pension plans is what will eventually kill us all. History does repeat itself. I have the entire database for city and county records thus I know. Opinions are just that and facts tell the real story.

Ron, if you were really stupid enough to believe that with the passing of Admendment 1 that government administrators were going to take salary and pension cuts in lieu of cutting govt. services and employees, I have a bridge I'd like to sell you...

You SEEM a little to smart to be that gullible, bud...

But perhaps not...