Did you know about this?
Let’s see, 7 new bike share stations with 80 bikes for $720,000.
That comes to $9,000 per bike.
We deserve better
Brutus
Sneaky, huh?
May 30, 2019This comes from a paper titled Why Tax Increment Financing Often Fails and How Communities Can Do Better published by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy:
In addition, TIF can make cities’ financial decisions less transparent by separating them from the normal budget process. In Chicago, for example, $660 million — nearly a third of the city’s property taxes — go to TIF districts, making public scrutiny of these funds more difficult and preventing elected officials from re-prioritizing the spending. Finally, TIF carries the same risks as other types of business tax incentives, which can lead to inter-city competition and short-term decision-making.
Could it be that the real purpose of the TIF push here in El Paso is to take tax money out of the hands of city council and give it to others?
You can read the entire report here: https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/articles/new-report.
We deserve better
Brutus
6 Comments | 
City government | 
Permalink
Posted by Brutus
At this rate …
May 29, 2019Max Grossman sent this out:
The General Fund Budget of the City of El Paso increased from $344,566,512 in FY 2014 to a projected expenditure of $428,597,800 in FY 2019, an increase of 24% (FY 19 Budget Book, p. 134). During the same period, our City property tax has also increased by 24%, along with a 24% increase in our debt servicing costs (City chart attached).
During the same five-year period, the population of El Paso grew from 682,648 to approximately 684,500 people, a gain of less than 1,900 people (0.3%).
How can our City possibly justify such a massive expansion of government in so short a time when our population has flatlined? Given the budgetary situation, does it make sense for the City of El Paso to build a sports arena that we did not vote for and cannot possibly afford?
12 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
Helping the state of Texas out
May 28, 2019Item 11.1 on the Tuesday, May 28, 2019 city council authorizes the expenditure of $230,000 (with an additional $230,000 if deemed necessary) for the city to pay a contractor to clean street medians on state owned streets within the city.
Can’t the state of Texas pay its own bills?
Wouldn’t you think that our mayor would take the state to task on this?
We deserve better
Brutus
8 Comments | City government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
Memorial day 2019
May 27, 2019Today I remember and pray for those men and women who died while serving in the United States military.
We deserve better
Brutus
1 Comment | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
elpasospeak 
You must be logged in to post a comment.