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http:// --> Ashland, Oregon HOME Valley & State Sports Nation & World Opinion/Editorial Classifieds Business Columnists Obituaries Weather Archive Hot Topics Forum Photo Gallery Past Readers Polls Revels Etcetera Backpage O-Zone Special Sections Real Estate Guide Menu Guide Shakespeare Subscribe Contact Us Rate Card Place an Ad Online Games Movie Preview October 21, 2006 Fiscal responsibility yet another catch phrase The City of Ashland faces complex financial issues in the coming year. The elephant in the room — The Ashland Fiber Network debt — colors much of everything, though the reality of a rapidly growing city budget raises issues far beyond just this one expense. Nuanced discussion about this budget and its impending impact to taxpayers should be among the highest city priorities. So far, the council appears to be adopting a piece-meal approach to the issue that isn't working. Angry taxpayers convinced the council to reverse its decision to implement a flat $7.50 tax hike on electricity to offset AFN-related debt. To date, the council hasn't come up with an alternative plan. Many believe a property-tax hike is inevitable. Some city councilors and candidates for city council are openly speculating about city land that can be sold, like the Oak Knoll Golf Course, to offset the debt. But nothing forces free-spending city leaders to suddenly morph into fretting CPAs like an election. Candidates are all talking tough on fiscal responsibility. Of course, nobody wins with a platform touting tax hikes to pay for every whim of city government. But wait until the votes are counted. Unfortunately, much of the discussion of fiscal responsibility to date quickly breaks down into short sound bites lacking substantive plans. It's easy for opponents of council candidate John Stromberg to point to his active support of an expensive downtown planning process that would have cost the city more than $250,000 as a sign of fiscal irresponsibility. But such arguments are shallow. The downtown planning process could have broken the current logjam that is the planning commission. The costs of just one multi-use building downtown actually gaining approval could generate more long-term revenue than the cost of the consultants. Downtown planning and other expenses, like a recent community policing report, are certainly part of the issue of fiscal responsibility, but certainly more substantial issues are better gauges of the true commitment to fiscal responsibility. For example, the council's vote to go against the recommendation of its own budget committee to sell AFN sheds a light on some councilors' spending habits. Also, rising costs coupled with the slow pace of revenue growth contribute to the city's financial troubles. Are any councilors or candidates asking for a serious review of potential tax incentives and breaks that cost the city nothing up front but can help promote job growth and revenue for the city? Plans for expensive programs such as city-owned affordable housing projects, or increased hiring in the planning department and police departments must be coupled with budgetary considerations and the need for more revenue to pay for such budget increases. The city council must be prepared to lay out a plan for the city's financial future that includes funding sources for existing debt, priority spending projects and the long-term impact on taxes. A detailed, economic plan for the city is needed to create more accountability for city leaders who talk a good fiscal responsibility game now. The city's $100,000,000 budget may not be as flashy politically as defending the watershed or promoting sustainability, but perhaps no other issue looms so prominently over the city in the coming years. Current Comments: It is reassuring that the DT editorial team sees the fiscal wisdom behind Stomberg's dedication to a Downtown Plan. In spite of support from Hardesy Hartzell and Chapman, the rest of the council continue to sit on their hands on this important issue. Meanwhile, eager developers waste hundreds of thousands of dollars on massive, inappropriate schemes that end up in the waste bin. John Stromberg has shown he can pull all sides together to move forward on a vision the whole community can embrace Colin Swales ( [email protected] ) - Ashland, OR - October 21st, 6:26 PM The city needs to consider selling the businesses it has or has a vested interest in such as Ashland airport, AFN, Oak Knoll Golf Course, etc. and pay down the bond debt. If numbers previously posted here are correct Ashland taxpayers have a $40 million liability for AFN and the water treatment bonds alone and are being asked to OK another $12 million bond to fund school building and repairs. Lets reign in the pork and give our fixed income retiree taxpayers a much need break. Doug Forsyth - Ashland - October 21st, 7:03 PM Wow! Finally, you guys are starting to ask some of the tough questions on AFN and the budget. It's too long overdue but "welcome aboard"! Just don't "wimp-out" now. Keep their feet to the fire. Maybe you've finally figured out that all the "livability" mumbo-jumbo these candidates continually spew means nothing when the reality hits that the city cannot pay its bills. And unless they get this budget under control and AFN debt resolved, that day is coming. SeppiSlice - Ashland - October 21st, 7:21 PM Colin Swales support for the Downtown Plan is dissapointing but at least Colin has been around long enough to have an opinion. John Stromberg would do well, as a planning commissioner, to actually IMPLEMENT the downtown plan we have rather than warping it to defeat projects somebody told him to oppose. We do not need another downtown plan to addres the four or five vacant sites remaining in downtown. We need to continue the award-winning work that made downtown so attractive to begin with. George Kramer - Ashland, OR - October 23rd, 8:09 AM Leave a Comment: Advertisement: Advertisement: Paid Advertising Inkjet Printers Student Loans Water Filter Helzberg Diamonds Mortgage Calculator Security Systems Advertisement: Copyright © 2006 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers. All Rights Reserved.