NOT JUST NICKELS AND DIMES BEING SPENT — August 17, 2007 column by Lisa Brouillette
August 17, 2007 column by Lisa Brouillette
(first published in the Opelika-Auburn News)
NOT JUST NICKELS AND DIMES BEING SPENT
Lee County, Opelika and Auburn all are reviewing their budgets this month. And it’s not just nickels and dimes they’re spending, it’s big bucks. Our bucks. Let your representatives know how you do, and don’t, want your money spent.
Impacting Auburn’s bottom line this year is the agreement between the city and Auburn University to use the city’s cash reserves to finance construction at the AU Research Park. Of note also are the millions required for the new AU and city Tennis Center.
Recent approval of an additional $1.8 million for economic development incentives for the Bent Creek retail project brings the total to $8.8 million in Auburn taxpayer dollars, so far, for that one development site. Let’s hope it becomes the sales tax cash-cow city officials have said it will.
Speaking of taxes, with the public relations onslaught from the local school systems, I suppose most of you are aware of the August 28 school tax increase election. It was only last year Auburn officials approved $33 million in funding, supposedly to carry the city school system for the next decade or so. Considering this, some taxpayers are fed up with what they perceive as over-subsidizing schools to the benefit of local developers.
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In a column after last year’s Auburn city election, I made a few suggestions to the newly elected city council. I’ll repeat them now in light of the continued behind-closed-doors business style of city officials.
- Be serious about open government.
- Encourage and then pay attention to citizens’ comments.
- Welcome questions from your council colleagues; bring full discussion of city issues into the public realm.
Citizens deserve no less than this from their government. Too often local officials use the pale defense of “what is legally required” to justify doing only the bare minimum. Folks, bring the discussions and documents public. Let the sun shine.
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The response of Auburn’s City Manager to a question raised in my last column, published in this paper, failed to address the central issue: Why did the city of Auburn repeatedly misreport its fire insurance ratings to the public?
Mr. Duggan commented on public safety issues but failed to answer why fire insurance ratings were misreported. My guess is that doing so would highlight the fact that Auburn’s sprawl outstripped its ability to provide adequate fire protection – an embarrassing admission for some.
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There’s only so much room in a newspaper column. If you want to read more about the issues I cover, go to my website: www.placeforum.org.
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