Saturday, January 29, 2011

THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE WATER RATES

Water rates...would you like to know what really happened in 2010? I raised the water rates on the large users (above 40,000/quarter) and the one bulk user, Scioto Water. Scioto Water's lawyers threatened lawsuits and tied up Mr. Jones and Mr. Sutherland in negotiations most of the year.

Scioto Water had been buying water from the City of Portsmouth at $1.67 and reselling it for $8.25, Not bad huh? I'd love to make that gross profit margin. And, they were getting it below the city's cost of production.

The same lawyers, formerly Mowery & Blume and now Blume and Blume, at the time tried to smear me in the media. And guess what, lo and behold they are also the attorneys for Hillview.

I think that easily explains why Hillview brought Basham in right before the recall election? Basham was there raising questions about the rates Hillview was paying but no one contacted me...until Basham did his thing in the media. More disinformation; but, heck why try to stick to journalism ethics when you have a mayor to help recall.

I got a letter from the director of Hillview right before Thanksgiving. We called 3 times to schedule an appointment with Hillveiw's director and never received a return call. Did someone stifle him?

And, has anyone asked what the actual dollar increase was for Hillview? My question all along was, "Why are the residential customers subsidizing the larger users?"

Kalb raised the water rates every year he was mayor except for 2009 when he ran against me.

And now for the cold, hard facts...I lowered the water rates in 2010 on the residential users by $.03 and slightly increased the sewer rates...wrong again Mr. Malone.

Mike Jones suggested to me that we put forth an ordinance automatically raising water rates every year by some amount. I refused unless there was a water line replacement plan and monies were dedicated to actually begin fixing the infrastructure.

So, do you think Malone and the Council will use the increase to start replacing decades old lines? Probably not because the deficit budget the Council, the Auditor and the Solicitor slapped together for 2010 had no money for water line replacement. Instead they used $1 M. of water revenues to pay part of the $3.5 Million in salaries and benefits for the fire department. How many breaks have you witnessed the last few months alone? I've lost track on how many times the line on Kinney's lane has broken. 

That $1 M. would have gone a long way in repairing our aged infrastructure…better yet, use it to pay debt on $30 Millon in bonds and really fix the system.

Oh, and did you know that the fire hydrants are color coded according to water pressure? Aged, undersized, and failing lines - this is the real link between water revenues and the fire department, not the salaries and benefits of the employees in that department.

None of it is rocket science...it's just government. But one has to know what one is doing, otherwise the public loses again.

Monday, January 10, 2011

YOU, TOO, CAN BE CITY AUDITOR...NO CREDENTIALS REQUIRED

Hmm…you say, how can that be? Although the City Auditor is responsible for the city's finances, accounting, audits, income tax collection, "...and have charge of the administration of the financial affairs of the city." etc., there is no city charter provision requiring that one knows or has experience in anything.

 (http://portsmouthoh.org/index.aspx?NID=186)

You can make $50,000+/year; have the new $25,000 vehicle bought in December 2009 at your disposal along with gas, maintenance, insurance provided by the taxpayers; have a $15,000 family health insurance plan for which you only pay $50/month; don't have to "punch the clock" nor account for your absence or the absence of your staff. You just have to get elected and you are in!

Oh, and one more thing, there is no state nor public accountability...unless you lose the election.
On second thought, you might want to see what the 2009 audit (released 12-09-10) of the city of Portsmouth looks like:

http://www.auditor.state.oh.us/AuditSearch/detail.aspx?ReportID=85087

Pay particular attention to Findings Number 2009-003 and 2009-004 on page 15 of the audit. In essense they say that the City Auditor failed to "recertify available funds" that could be spent in 2009 once revenues dropped dramatically. The result,  the city spent when it didn't have the money...ergo, the $1.2+ M. deficit I inherited at the beginning of 2010.

It's not rocket science. One can't spend more than one has...or at least one shouldn't...it is, after all, the law. Yet, one asks who was there to stop the city council, city solicitor and city auditor from planned deficit spending again in 2010? I tried and look where that got me.

But, know this, at my request the State Auditor is taking back the audits of the city of Portsmouth starting with the 2010 audit. Too bad it had not done so previously. I had to tell Caudill & Associates of the deficit balances in 3 funds. They only knew of one...the General Fund. It begs the question, who is responsible for and how long has this mismanagement of the city gone on? No wonder my questions were unwelcomed.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

...AFTER MAYOR

There is much to do. You know that. Now, I encourage everyone to work toward a future for Portsmouth. Get involved and stay involved. I believe it’s the only way we can achieve real change toward charting a new course for our troubled city.

We can do things such as build solar arrays to generate electricity; create jobs and reduce the City’s nearly $1 Million/year AEP electricity bill. We can build a regional “source separation, recycling, and waste to energy facility”; create jobs; and reduce the City’s $275,000+ cost to send its garbage to a Pike County landfill and the negative impact to our environment.

If we are ever to see a redevelopment of our neighborhoods, the city council must pass a rental license ordinance that helps deal with code enforcement and other rental property problems in Portsmouth. The city should look to additional revenue streams such as adopting a franchise system for commercial trash collection in the city. This will have the significant added bonus of reducing garbage truck trips that are tearing up streets and causing unnecessary noise and pollution.

We have some enormous infrastructure problems to tackle. Our streets are in deplorable condition, our aged water lines have not been replaced and the Combined Sewer Overflow mandated correction will cost the community multi-millions. An infrastructure bond should be passed and the enterprise funds (water, sewer, gas tax) used to repay the bonds over 30 years. It is the only way to get caught up on street resurfacing and replacing old water and sewer lines and systems.

The neighborhood parks, pools and other facilities should be upgraded and not given away as has happened and is likely to be proposed again for Spartan Stadium, the McKinley Pool, and Rose Street Park. These are basic services a government owes its residents.

And drugs and crime…two problems that have gotten so out of hand that if drastic action is not taken, it well may be the total ruination of our community. And do the right thing, install synchronization equipment and put the lights back into service on U.S. 52 so the residents of Portsmouth can safely traverse their own city.

So, do your civic part, get informed and work to protect your property, your enjoyment of your home, your neighborhood, your job. Write, call and email your member of Council. Go to the council meetings. Be willing to step forward and say enough is enough…we have to have change. Don’t let the city budget just be about city employee’s salaries and benefits. The budget should reflect the policies we as a community hold dear.

Check back here from time to time. I'll share valuable information and data not filtered through the local "media".

Thank you.