Cities slash budgets, taxes
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 15 years, 2 months AGO
KOOTENAI COUNTY - For the first time in history, all cities in the county are choosing to cut property taxes in the next fiscal year.
The cities have all adopted budgets for the 2011-2012 fiscal year that are 3 percent less than the current year's budget - also a first in Kootenai County history.
"We could not, in good conscience, proceed with a 'business as usual' attitude when so many citizens are facing unprecedented economic hardship," said a Coeur d'Alene City Council member who requested anonymity. "The city has many needs and we have great employees - some of the best in the state. But until the economy improves, we're going to do what's unpopular to our employees because it's the right thing for our citizens and our taxpayers."
The source cited recent studies showing nationwide, public employees are now better compensated, with better benefits, than their private-sector counterparts.
"As with school districts and many other taxpayer-supported services, pay and benefits represent the lion's share of our budget," the source said. "To ease the burden on taxpayers, we really had no other option than to pass along a pay cut to our entire workforce, with the highest paid employees taking the largest percentage cuts and the lowest paid employees taking the smallest percentage cuts."
In addition, the cities announced that they are delaying capital purchases which aren't deemed urgent, and replacing what they can with rebuilt or refurbished equipment.
The cities are also unilaterally signing a "buy local" agreement. The pact requires them to aggressively seek local bids for all contract work and products first. If no acceptable bids are received from Kootenai County providers, the "buy local" agreement then extends to North Idaho's five northern counties. If that fails, a city may then invite bids from southern Idaho. Finally, if no acceptable bids are received from within the state, outside bids will be invited.
"We're committed to being part of the solution," the council source said, "and not a perpetrator of the problem."
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Until citizens care enough to make fictitious stories like this one a reality, all we can do is dream.