Letters to the Editor

Letter to the Editor | City general fund needs additional revenue

Like many of you, I’ve been talking with lots of folks in our community about the revenue shortfalls facing the city. I thought it was time to get the facts out more broadly than my many one-on-one conversations. I hope once you better appreciate the situation you’ll understand the importance of the vote April 23.

The City budget is made up of numerous funds and revenue sources which oftentimes cannot be comingled. This makes the 200+ page budget much more complicated than any of our personal finances. General fund dollars can be used most widely to fund a variety of services on which we all depend. Everything from street maintenance to police, our parks, and building operations. Basically, the things we need to operate the city we all love.

How did we get here?

There has been a decrease in the revenue we receive from developers partially because city residents requested less development. That’s why many of the vacant positions at the City are in the planning department. But we still must operate a city that’s 65 percent bigger than it was and that costs more money.

How much will my taxes go up?

That depends on the value of your home, but for the average property owner it will be about $25 per month. And it’s the first time your city property tax rates have gone up in more than 40 years. What else do you pay that has stayed the same for that long?

What about B&O?

You’re likely heard conversation that if the property tax rate increase doesn’t pass we can put this on the backs of business owners. Business owners are also property owners so they’ll already pay the increase. Why should they bear the burden? A business and operations tax is on their gross revenues and therefore dependent on the revenue of each business. As the economy fluctuates so do those revenues meaning it’s less stable than property tax. That stability was a key factor for me as we need a revenue source on which we can depend.

Why now and not in August?

You’ve also heard that a no vote sends this back to the people for another vote in August but that’s not possible because of other regulations in the County. The election is certified May 3, also the date a resolution approved by the Council is due to the County for the August election. So, the earliest a vote of the people on an option could happen is November and that causes additional issues planning for the biennium which begins January 1.

I love Gig Harbor and know you do too. Please vote Yes to keep our city thriving. Vote Yes to maintain the city you love.

The views expressed here are mine and not necessarily those of the city.

Le Rodenberg

Gig Harbor

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