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REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 26, 2016 <br />Jesse Davis, P.O. Box 10205 South Bend IN, stated listening to what Councilmember Davis just <br />said about salaries makes more sense than anything he has heard at these Council meetings. <br />People are tired of the upper echelon getting caviar when the people at the bottom are eating dog <br />food. The City has been fully aware of the circuit breakers since 2008 which is almost nine (9) <br />years ago. The City created a new LOIT tax and then doubled it the next year and created a brand <br />new public safety tax and all the taxes keep going up and up. Everybody in Indiana except St. <br />Joseph County and Lake County have been capped at one percent (1 %) and South Bend got a <br />reprieve from that. We had nine (9) years to prepare for this and worry about the spending. The <br />City has no right to cut our services and every year taxes go up and people in government want <br />raises. Mr. Davis asked how much Smart Streets will eventually cost the taxpayers of South <br />Bend. He stated people on fixed incomes are not seeing cost of living raises so neither should <br />these City employees. To raise the taxes back because they will be capped, the government is <br />raising the assessments on properties. If the City is worried about this fiscal cliff coming and the <br />CSO project, we should be slowing the spending. We have already separated those sewers but <br />when we had a torrential rainfall the neighborhoods were flooding with sewage. This spending is <br />totally out of control. It would also be really nice if we could see what our tax dollars were spent <br />on and see the actual amounts. There should be no raises if we have this fiscal cliff. <br />Sharon Banicki, 3822 Ford Street South Bend, stated she is against this budget. There is one (1) <br />raise in the budget that pops out at her as inappropriate. She stated within thirty (30) minutes she <br />went to the two (2) cities that are above of us and their city clerks are not making near what our <br />City Clerk is asking for. <br />Chairperson Gavin Ferlic stated that salary is not in this hearing. That particular item is not <br />within this hearing but will be at the hearing in two (2) weeks. <br />Ms. Banicki continued and stated this Council has known for nine (9) years that this fiscal curb <br />was coming and it is a shame that more people are not here to voice their concerns. We are tired <br />of not being listened to. We are tired of the government telling us what we need and what we <br />want and should do. Quit spending money that we don't have to support all of these programs. <br />Pam Clays, 1106 Belleview, applauded Councilmember Davis on his comments. If it is $60,000 <br />to bring people up to $9.10 we should really consider bumping that up to the $10.10 a year <br />earlier. She urged the Council to figure out that math. <br />Councilmember Randy Kelly made a motion to continue Bill 44 -16 in the Council portion only <br />and set the third reading for October 10th 2016. Councilmember Tim Scott seconded the motion <br />which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. <br />Councilmember Karen White wished to remind the public that they will have an opportunity for <br />public input at Pinhook on Monday October 3rd, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. We also have another budget <br />hearing scheduled for October 6th, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. in the Council conference room. The <br />Council does listen to the public and we are trying to come up with the best budget possible for <br />everyone. <br />Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to continue Bill 45 -16 in the Council portion only <br />and set the third reading for October 10th 2016. Councilmember Tim Scott seconded the motion <br />which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. <br />Councilmember Karen White made a motion to continue Substitute Bill 46 -16 in the Council <br />portion only and set the third reading for October 10th, 2016. Councilmember Tim Scott <br />seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. <br />40 -16 PUBLIC HEARING ON AN ORDINANCE <br />AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE FOR <br />PROPERTY LOCATED AT 4246 MEGHAN <br />BEELER COURT, COUNCILMANIC DISTRICT <br />NO. 1 IN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, <br />INDIANA <br />W <br />