Minutes 06/07/1977 - Laserfiche WebLink

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,96 TUESDAY JUNE 7, 1977 increasing the proposed budget? The public transit savings (programmed into your proposal) will net a savings of at least $65,000, shortened to $47,000 by an estimated allowance to the school system of $l8,000 for school busing expenses. An approximate $40,000 may be saved by not filling the four new positions you recommend. Then, about $132,000 in electric profits can be transferred into the general fund. Hence, a lid can be placed on your proposed budget even with the inclusion of a 6% cost-of-living salary increase. I simply don't think the citizens of our community should be taxed - or can afford to be taxed - for additional employees, what with our declining population. I realize an assistant for you would be convenient and handy. However, I see no reason why each department head cannot act as a personnel chief for his own department. Moreover, I don't think we need a focus on federal grant programs. We have been perfectly capable, and are now, of securing federal monies for fundamental items such as in the areas of water, sewage and streets. To openly campaign beyond this for socio-economic programs could well ultimately result in Martinsville becoming one of those cities headlined in the May 30 Richmond Times Dispatch "Central Cities' Decline Blamed on Series of Federal Policies". Also in the Richmond Times Dispatch of June 1, the Mayor of Pittsburgh's executive assistant, Bruce Campbell, is quoted as saying that its work force has dropped from 7,l62 workers in 1970 to 5,252 presently. He further says that productivity has increased. He also notes that crime has decreased at a time when the police force was cut from 1,700 to 1,400; similar statistics about the fire department. Concerning charging a $10 fire inspection fee to various businesses, I think this would fall into the area of a nit-picking charge, would be resented and isn't justified. After all, these businesses are already paying taxes to the city for services. Incidentally, the taxes paid by businesses are the "sweetest" taxes we receive; businesses don't produce children to educate. One of our small industries has complained about paying the maximum utility tax of $401 per month, and I believe the complaint is justified and does border on discrimination. I agree that the utility tax on businesses was necessary and justified. However, it hardly seems fair for an industry to pay the maximum utility tax if said industry's sales are miniscule in comparison with a giant industry with voluminous sales and much heavier profits. I suggest this matter be aired before council and an effort made to arrive at a more equitable formula. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Councilman Greene's statement: First, I would like to comment on Mr. West's contention, expressed in his letter and at the last budget session, that Council should arbitrarily limit the increase in budgeted expenditures to the inflation rate. I think this is a simplistic and misleading solution to a complicated problem. As I see it, the inflation rate is