Comments on: Long range budget planning http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/ News and Views from Downers Grove Tue, 11 Oct 2011 23:07:07 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John Poshepny http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11714 John Poshepny Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:20:14 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11714 I don't want to pay more Taxes, America has NO MONEY!! I don’t want to pay more Taxes, America has NO MONEY!!

]]> By: Chad http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11710 Chad Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:26:01 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11710 John, You must be one of those blue dog Dems! I am starting to enjoy reading your posts again! :) John,

You must be one of those blue dog Dems! I am starting to enjoy reading your posts again! :)

]]> By: John Schofield http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11704 John Schofield Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:01:15 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11704 Local governments wastefully duplicate many activities. Much could be saved by consolidating the overlapping local governments. Why do we need multiple school districts? Why do we need a separate park district? Each one's got its own administrative overhead, its own fleet of vehicles, etc., etc. Recently the Village of Downers Grove spent money on a telephone robocall service, even though the schools already had one. Cut out the duplication and waste! Local governments wastefully duplicate many activities. Much could be saved by consolidating the overlapping local governments. Why do we need multiple school districts? Why do we need a separate park district? Each one’s got its own administrative overhead, its own fleet of vehicles, etc., etc. Recently the Village of Downers Grove spent money on a telephone robocall service, even though the schools already had one. Cut out the duplication and waste!

]]> By: Chad http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11701 Chad Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:50:08 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11701 I think we need to ask what service's are being duplicated by the state, country or township. Maybe Downers can stop providing those services altogether? There might be savings there. Also, with all the taxes that are headed our way from our federal government the extra tax on Downers Grove residents may break some families. Think about it. Our President is talking about spending over a TRILLION dollars per year for a public health program, he wants to tax any company that emits carbon emissions (auto gas, home gas, electric etc…) and wants to institute a VAT tax which would add around 20% to everything we purchase. I think the village is taking the correct course of action for now. We need to wait and see what our wonderful federal government is going to sock us with before we sock it to DG residents. Not to mention the President says a second stimulus package is not out of the question. I think we need to ask what service’s are being duplicated by the state, country or township. Maybe Downers can stop providing those services altogether? There might be savings there.

Also, with all the taxes that are headed our way from our federal government the extra tax on Downers Grove residents may break some families. Think about it. Our President is talking about spending over a TRILLION dollars per year for a public health program, he wants to tax any company that emits carbon emissions (auto gas, home gas, electric etc…) and wants to institute a VAT tax which would add around 20% to everything we purchase. I think the village is taking the correct course of action for now. We need to wait and see what our wonderful federal government is going to sock us with before we sock it to DG residents. Not to mention the President says a second stimulus package is not out of the question.

]]> By: Jack Dare http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11699 Jack Dare Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:41:36 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11699 We could think about a $4 million shortfall in per-household terms. Divided by roughly 20,000 households, that's $200 each per year, just for perspective. I'm not suggesting the best solution is for all of us to write $200 checks and end the discussion here, but if you ask people if they would rather see taxes increased or services and programs cut, a rational person is going to ask "increased by how much?" vs. cutting what, exactly. If you ask people if they would rather cut Heritage Festival, the ice carving contest, the commuter buses and community grants vs. paying $20 more tax per year (just a wild guess), a lot of folks would probably vote for paying the tax. The extras that set DG apart may not be priority 1 core services, but they also don't add up to a lot of dollars per taxpayer. Informed choices must rule the day. We could think about a $4 million shortfall in per-household terms. Divided by roughly 20,000 households, that’s $200 each per year, just for perspective. I’m not suggesting the best solution is for all of us to write $200 checks and end the discussion here, but if you ask people if they would rather see taxes increased or services and programs cut, a rational person is going to ask “increased by how much?” vs. cutting what, exactly. If you ask people if they would rather cut Heritage Festival, the ice carving contest, the commuter buses and community grants vs. paying $20 more tax per year (just a wild guess), a lot of folks would probably vote for paying the tax. The extras that set DG apart may not be priority 1 core services, but they also don’t add up to a lot of dollars per taxpayer. Informed choices must rule the day.

]]> By: John Schofield http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11647 John Schofield Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:24:44 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11647 You're right, Chad, the Village is putting all the information within easy reach for residents. Besides the THREE presentations so far, there are also audio recordings of the three sessions so far. If you subscribed to the Village Council podcasts, they downloaded the day after each of the three sessions. Otherwise you can find them here -> http://www.downers.us/podcast Worth listening! You’re right, Chad, the Village is putting all the information within easy reach for residents.

Besides the THREE presentations so far, there are also audio recordings of the three sessions so far. If you subscribed to the Village Council podcasts, they downloaded the day after each of the three sessions. Otherwise you can find them here ->

http://www.downers.us/podcast

Worth listening!

]]> By: Chad http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11646 Chad Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:02:34 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11646 The village put together a very informative and easy to read power point presentation. I think everyone should take the time to read it on the village website! This way you are aware of the strategies that the council and staff are debating on implementing to keep the village running efficiently and effectively. Question: What the biggest expenditure is in the Downers Grove budget? A. Operating costs B. Village Council and Mayor salaries C. Employee pay and benefits D. Storm water projects The village put together a very informative and easy to read power point presentation. I think everyone should take the time to read it on the village website! This way you are aware of the strategies that the council and staff are debating on implementing to keep the village running efficiently and effectively.

Question: What the biggest expenditure is in the Downers Grove budget?

A. Operating costs
B. Village Council and Mayor salaries
C. Employee pay and benefits
D. Storm water projects

]]> By: Chad http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11638 Chad Wed, 08 Jul 2009 23:32:15 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11638 Bigger houses = more tax revenue Seems simple. Bigger houses = more tax revenue

Seems simple.

]]> By: DG_DA http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11634 DG_DA Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:22:39 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11634 The attax (sic) on individuals and businesses by all levels of govt, federal, state and local is reaching the breaking point. The Village did a good job in modifying spending as it identified the developing $$ gap last year. This is evidence it will need to do much more in that regard. Looking far into the future we need to gauge what mix of businesses and types of housing stock present a financially sustainable and viable model not requiring a water torture series of tax increases to keep it going. The attax (sic) on individuals and businesses by all levels of govt, federal, state and local is reaching the breaking point. The Village did a good job in modifying spending as it identified the developing $$ gap last year. This is evidence it will need to do much more in that regard. Looking far into the future we need to gauge what mix of businesses and types of housing stock present a financially sustainable and viable model not requiring a water torture series of tax increases to keep it going.

]]> By: Tim Meaney http://www.dgreport.com/index.php/2009/07/07/long-range-budget-planning/#comment-11629 Tim Meaney Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:10:15 +0000 http://www.dgreport.com/?p=3117#comment-11629 The Village should roll their long range financial planning exercise into TCD3. There are strong and potentially beneficial relationships between the two: 1) Last night’s financial planning and prioritization exercise is nearly identical to the TCD3 process of issues identification and prioritization. Treating Council’s input as their contribution to TCD3 – alongside the input from residents as a whole, the neighborhood sessions, the commission and board session, etc. – unifies and simplifies both processes by allowing them to be treated as one. The results from Staff’s doing the same exercise earlier should also be considered a TCD3 input. 2) Characterizing the exercise as “long range financial planning” and as “strategies prioritization” directed to defining a “new business model” all point to the same time horizon that TCD3 is intended to address, even though the exercise has obvious near-term (budgetary) implications as well. Defining a “new business model” implies policy and philosophical concepts of who we are as a community – not just what we execute in the short term to navigate the current economic situation. One of TCD3’s opening statements says its objective is to “sustain a healthy and open dialogue about issues (both long-term and short-term) facing the Downers Grove community.” Integrating the Financial Planning Session with TCD3 a) puts both discussions in an arena where issues and concerns raised by all stakeholders can be considered together, and b) leverages the consulting expertise we’ve already contracted for TCD3. Rather than have these two time-and-money-intensive processes running on separate tracks, let’s integrate them. (I recommended this approach at last night’s meeting and followed up with an email to senior Village staff and Council this morning) The Village should roll their long range financial planning exercise into TCD3. There are strong and potentially beneficial relationships between the two:

1) Last night’s financial planning and prioritization exercise is nearly identical to the TCD3 process of issues identification and prioritization. Treating Council’s input as their contribution to TCD3 – alongside the input from residents as a whole, the neighborhood sessions, the commission and board session, etc. – unifies and simplifies both processes by allowing them to be treated as one. The results from Staff’s doing the same exercise earlier should also be considered a TCD3 input.

2) Characterizing the exercise as “long range financial planning” and as “strategies prioritization” directed to defining a “new business model” all point to the same time horizon that TCD3 is intended to address, even though the exercise has obvious near-term (budgetary) implications as well. Defining a “new business model” implies policy and philosophical concepts of who we are as a community – not just what we execute in the short term to navigate the current economic situation.

One of TCD3’s opening statements says its objective is to “sustain a healthy and open dialogue about issues (both long-term and short-term) facing the Downers Grove community.” Integrating the Financial Planning Session with TCD3 a) puts both discussions in an arena where issues and concerns raised by all stakeholders can be considered together, and b) leverages the consulting expertise we’ve already contracted for TCD3.

Rather than have these two time-and-money-intensive processes running on separate tracks, let’s integrate them.

(I recommended this approach at last night’s meeting and followed up with an email to senior Village staff and Council this morning)

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