Minutes 06/07/1977 - Laserfiche WebLink

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39 TUESDAY JUNE 7, 1977 Also, each year, since fiscal 1975, the amount of Federal Revenue Sharing Funds used to balance the budget by the City has been reduced because Council felt that the City must prepare its operating budget based on revenues that can be depended on year after year. - These are examples of how Council has decided each federal and state program on its own merits. But, I fear that Martinsville's citizens are being short-changed because the City is not actively pursuing government funds on a continual and organized basis. Recently, Councilman L. D. Oakes attended a National League of Cities meeting in Atlanta. He brought back a computer printout listing 182 government grants that Martinsville might be eligible for, including education, roads and bridges, solid waste management, water, fire prevention, business and industrial development, recreation, and others. It bothers me that the City has no one person vested with the responsibility of studying these programs, and I think that if the City paid an expert on a one year trial basis to find, study, process and follow-up federal and state programs he would more than pay for his salary through increased revenues to the City. Of course, Council will give final approval or disapproval of any government funding program. While I share Mr. West's concern over the addition of new employees to the City's payroll, as evidenced by my votes last year to deny requests for new employees, I think it is Council's responsibility to review each request for new employees on an individual basis. To date, Council has not discussed these requests, yet Mr. West has indicated that he will vote against all of them. On the surface, it appears to me that Council should not approve all of them, but I think each of them should be discussed. For example, Chief Gard has stated that if his request for a secretary is denied, he may have to take an officer off the streets and put him behind a typewriter. This should certainly be reviewed by Council. Fourth, based on the information presented to Council thus far, I have reservations about the imposition of the $10 fire inspection fee, and would like to hear further discussion on this matter. Finally, I have three questions that I would like to ask Mr. West about his contention that the maximum utility tax of $40l per month currently levied on industries borders on discrimination. Mr. West states, "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". Mr. West's statements were apparently prompted by a letter from V. M. Draper Manufacturing Company. First, what specifically does Mr. West proposed that we do? In my opinion, the City finances are gradually progressing to the point where we can operate on a pay-as-you-go basis without relying on yearly revenue windfalls to balance the budget. I do not think that the City can afford a tax decrease at this time. If Mr. West feels that the utility tax should be lowered, I would like for him to explaim specifically what taxes should be raised to make up the difference.