Pardon the Dust...

So, a lot has been going on recently.  If you're reading this blog, you're probably already fairly well informed regarding Bexley politics and community news, so you'll know that through a very sad series of events I have found myself in the bittersweet position of being the new Mayor of Bexley.  Bittersweet because I lost a friend, and the community of Bexley lost a man with a big heart who was a friend to all.

I am very excited about my position and am working intently and intensely to make the most of my time in this office.  So intently/intensely, in fact, that I feel like I've had little time to process the whirlwind of meetings - many of them transitional - that I have been in over the past few weeks.  I'm starting to come up for air, and when I do I will start posting to this blog, hopefully more actively than ever.  There's a whole lot to talk about - it's hard to know where to start.  In the meantime, pardon the dust as we remodel...

The Bexley Alternative Revenue Task Force

Last night Bexley Council passed a resolution authorizing the creation of the Bexley Alternative Revenue Task Force.  This article from ThisWeek News does a good job of synopsizing the rationale behind the creation of the task force:
http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/bexley/news/2012/01/18/madison-to-lead-new-city-task-force.html

Simply put, the intent behind creating this group is to find new, innovative ideas for improving Bexley's revenue equation.  If you'd like to become involved with this effort send me an email at bkessler@bexley.org or contact Tim Madison at the contact information provided in the ThisWeek article.

January 17th Public Transparency presentation

Sorry for the late notice folks - tomorrow night (January 17th) at 6:30 at Bexley City Hall a representative from Granicus will be presenting on Granicus' public transparency / video streaming solution for public meetings.  If this is something that interests you, you are welcome to attend and learn about an exciting prospect for increasing the accessibility of Bexley's government process.

More info on this solution at the Granicus website.

Is PILOT (Payment In Lieu of Taxes) A Good Idea for Bexley?

The anti-Issue 24 campaign is in full swing, and with it has come a storm of confusion, misconception, and just plain false information regarding the context, scope, and future of Bexley's financial crisis. However, every cloud has its silver lining, and one of the positive results of any dialogue of this sort in the community is the way that it causes us all to explore new ideas and possibilities.

The main revenue idea being proposed by opponents of Issue 24 is the concept of PILOT - or Payment in Lieu of Taxes. Specifically, they point to the Pittsburgh and Providence models, where colleges and universities are assessed a special fee for each enrolled student. PILOT is essentially a tax on students. In Pittsburgh and Providence, it ranges from around $200 to $300 per year per student. If we implemented it in Bexley at one of the higher rates, it would raise around $800,000. Here are some fairly important points to consider when thinking about PILOT:

Bexley's Issue 25: Retain the Bexley Auditor Position

With all of the energy being expounded on the passage of Bexley's Issue 24, it's easy to forget that there are four other issues on the ballot specific to Bexley.  These issues are all tied to the work of Bexley's Charter Review Commission.  The Charter Review Commission is formed about once a decade to review Bexley's city charter and to recommend changes to be placed on the ballot.  This group did a great job - they were hard working, meeting something like every Monday for months on end, and they were very thorough in their research and thought process.  While I voted for all of their recommendations to be placed on the ballot for consideration by Bexley voters, I do disagree with their recommendation to replace the Auditor position with an appointed Finance Director position.  Here's an exposition of my stance, from a letter to the editor I just submitted:

The Question of Historic Preservation in Bexley

Undoubtedly you have seen the yard signs popping up around the city over the past couple of months - "Say No To Demo".  The signs are advocating for the denial of a demolition permit at a home at 2325 Bryden Road.  The permit was denied by the Bexley BZA/ARB, successfully appealed to City Council, and now the Council decision has been appealed to Franklin County by a group of residents who have united to advocate against the demolition of the Bryden Road House.  The same residents are, I believe, behind a Facebook page which has recently been created in protest of the possible demolition.

I'd like to provide as much insight as I can into the issue, the concerns being raised about the process, and where to go from here.  I need to stress that this is one council member's opinion.  My views don't necessarily reflect those of other council members or the administration, etc, etc. - you get the idea.

$930,000 in Bexley budget reductions announced

Tonight the mayor announced $930,000 in budget reductions in order to, in conjunction with the Issue 24 0.5% income tax increase, balance the budget over the projected five year period from 2012 through 2016.

It has been difficult to communicate to residents that, even as we're going to the ballot for this tax increase, we still need to eliminate a substantial chunk of expenditures from our city budget.  Plain and simple, this is due to the sheer size and scope of the reductions that have been handed to us by the State of Ohio budget and its reduction of the local government fund and elimination of the estate tax (for more on this entire issue, read this blog entry).  The changes passed down by the State budget equate to approximately 25% of our city budget, when you factor in the average funds actually received from the estate tax in years past.  The process of identifying possible cuts and working with the administration to help move forward with an actionable plan has been taking up a lot of my time and energy - which explains why this blog has become so focused on this one issue.  It is easily the greatest financial challenge faced by any Bexley governmental entity in several decades, if not in the history of our community.