07-13-09 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING JULY 13, 2009 Mr. Jesse Davis, 1333 E. Calvert, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he drove around the City of South Bend and was astonished by what he saw. He drove down city streets and there were blocks of vacant land where homes had been torn down, grass was as tall as his shoulders. He stated the thing that bothered him the most was the vacant city block with tall grass right across from an elementary school. He stated that he is paying more in property tax and does not see the 1% caps, so he questioned where the $22 million dollars of lost revenue is. Mr. Jay Kata, 2024 Johnson, South Bend, Indiana, stated that he wanted to talk this evening about wants and needs. He stated that tonight he heard the Mayor talk about a single mother with one dependent having to pay $97.00 more a year. A single mother making less than $13,000.00 a year doesn’t have any more to give in taxes. He stated that it is just insane to expect people in that income bracket to pay anything. He stated that it comes down to the wants and needs such as water parks. Yes, they are fun, but they are not a necessity to keep this city functioning. He stated that the city doesn’t need new sidewalks outside of burnt out buildings. He stated that he has heard people state that these cuts are scare tactics; to him they are just irresponsible words of leadership from the City of South Bend. He stated that St. Joseph County spends more per capita on the public school system and yet the drop out rate is at an all time high. He stated that it is obvious that the money is not being spent wisely. He stated that the city needs to start looking at quality not quantity. When times are tough the citizens of South Bend and St. Joseph County are going to have to tighten their belts and make the tough choices and makes sacrifices, which those who were elected to office in the county and city are not doing and need to start. The County Council and City Council need to listen to their voters and not enact this tax. Mr. Jeffrey Kepschull, 21050 Quiet Ridge Ct, South Bend, Indiana, stated this country has survived three recessions and during those recessions taxes were cut to survive. He stated that this is what needs to happen now. He urged the Council to consider a referendum on any tax increase. He stated that it should be the taxpayer’s decision. Mr. Charlie Gray, 2340 Cranston Street, South Bend, Indiana, thanked the men and women of the police and fire departments and would not like to see any jobs cut in the public safety sector. He stated that what he would like to see is some fiscal responsibility from the County and City governments. He stated that he sees unnecessary things like round-abouts in corn fields, new sidewalks being built in front of burnt abandoned buildings. He stated that he sees a lot of waste and doesn’t see any responsibility for the careless and senseless spending. He recommended closing various city offices and services one day a week. He urged the Council to reconsider increasing the local option income tax. Mr. Thomas Burnett, 18907 Cleveland Road, South Bend, Indiana, urged the Council not to vote for this tax increase. Mr. Barry Baumbaugh, 12032 Timberline Trace N., Granger, Indiana, asked the City’s Legal Department to look at the Federal Hatch Act and questioned on whether or not the two members of the South Bend Common Council can actually vote on a tax when they both disclosed that they are members of the South Bend Police Department and South Bend Fire Department. He stated that the State did not put us in this situation; the local elected officials put the taxpayers in this situation by spending frivolously on projects. He stated that the budgets that have been passed the last fifteen years go way beyond inflation. He stated that with the population so stagnant he doesn’t understand how it can be justified. He stated that the State of Indiana did not put the taxpayers in this situation, the State did what the voters wanted and that was because they were tired of over sized bloated government in Indiana at local levels and all levels. The State put these restrictions in place to try to control some of that. He stated that he heard the phrase “cut to the bone,” how you can say something like that when the city is allowing TIF money to be spent on facades for not-for-profit organizations or parking lots for Coveleski Stadium, this is not cutting to the bone. But it was said that if the tax is not passed the city would have to cut fire fighters but give money to the Hall of Fame or cut police officers and give millions of dollars of TIF to WNIT for a façade and jumbo tron. He 26