Subscribe
Shop Local
Magazine
Gas Prices
Today's Poll!Both sides on Prop 2 agree on one thing
Any insufficient funding for firefighters is city’s fault
Sunday, August 5, 2012
An unusual situation has arisen in the case of Proposition 2: both sides agree the city dropped the ball in funding the Jefferson City Fire Department. But how to fix that problem is where the two sides split.
Proposition 2 would eliminate a 9.61-cent contribution to the Fireman’s Pension Fund and replace the funding mechanism with a dedicated one-fourth cent sales tax for the Fire Department that would sunset in 15 years.
Jefferson City resident Dennis Morrissey has been a vocal opponent of the tax proposal, saying people outside the city already contribute to public safety funding through both the city’s general sales tax and its capital improvements sales tax.
“Both of those are used to fund the fire department,” Morrissey said. “Do we need three taxes to fund the fire department?”
Morrissey said there also is no guarantee the city wouldn’t raise the property tax levy once given the opportunity. But supporters say the department is being unfairly punished for people’s mistrust in the City Council.
Marry Me
Comments
RobHunterJohnson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Vote Yes on proposition 2! Rob
herekitty 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Ear mark the tax and put in an account for the fire department ONLY!!!! Or fight your own fire.
rodinman 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Vote NO. Hold the city council and mayor accountable for all funds and budgets.
JCsleeper 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Trust the JCFD? Yes. Trust the JC council ?
gettingthere 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Vote No on Prop 2, for the sole reason of holding the city council accountable. Read an article out of CA that night that said an audit of the state budget found $54 million in unclaimed accounts. Wonder how much money the city could find if an outside audit was done to list all the categories of expenses and revenues.
gettingthere 10 months, 2 weeks ago
hk - I have no complaint against JCFD, but that is not a reason to vote yes. I do, however, have major complaints against the city, they have mandated responsibilities that they should honor. JCFD, JCP&R, JCPD, Street Dept, etc. Are you going to vote for a sales tax to support JCPD and Community Development next?
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Why do they need more money?
What are they doing with the hotel tax?
RobHunterJohnson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Having seen lights in my window at 11.30 pm and a Fireman on my porch with a scott airpack on, they need whatever they ask for. They have been to my Mothers on a medical calls, my next door neighbors too. I want the best for everyone in Jefferson City. Vote Yes on Proposition 2! Rob
JCLifer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
If they are so concerned with fire safety, why don't they make sprinkler systems required for all new construction like many other towns have? Spend a few dollars on prevention instead of millions of dollars on fire stations.
tomsawyer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Do you know what can happen when a sprinkler head gets knocked off? Water can be as damaging as fire.
RobHunterJohnson 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Most new buildings have sprinklers in them! Rob
countyfactor 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Everyone is trying to tie this prop2 with transformation, if you want to kill transformation and the chamber once and for all vote yes on prop2 send a message that we value essential services such as public safety. You don't trust the city council vote'em out, but let's not take our anger out on the fireman who we all know, are trying to do right buy us all.
tomsawyer 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Hold the City and mayor accountable??? What does that mean? We already know someone on that line messed up and that is why the FD is in this predicament. They have been waiting for years to have certain improvement plan projects wind up on the budget cutting floor. There just is no money. I went to the budget meeting last week and the city is already operating in the red. A yes vote will ensure the FD gets new (up to current standard)equipment and better training among many other positive things.
geekydee 10 months, 2 weeks ago
So, what is to keep the city from taking the money from the current FD budget and and applying it to Transformation items? Kind of like how the Lottery was supposed to increase funding for schools; yeah, that worked out great, didn't?
countyfactor 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Geekydee, because the budget that everyone is talking about is personnel cost there is no money for them to take out of the FD budget, they are working with $300,000.00 for operations, they don't have any money to take out to do TRANSFORMATION Projects. Believe me know one is against TRANSFORMATION more than I am. The chamber is scared to death that this thing will pass, because if it does, that drives a stake threw the heart of TRANSFORMATION II. I urge all of you that if you don't want TRANSFORMATION II vote yes on Prop2. And then let's work together with getting a council and mayor to be held accountable, because at the end of the day that is the only we can make change for community. Government especially local level has a duty to protect it citizens from harm, police and fire protection come to mind. For us to say they must live with in their means is a simplistic approach and one that takes very little effort on our part to get involved and understand the problem!
Gotigers 10 months, 2 weeks ago
Actually, it is the other way around. The chamber is hopeful it passes because that will show that they just marketed their message wrong. The Chamber will start working on a 'new transformation' if this passes.
countyfactor 10 months, 2 weeks ago
That really makes no sense.
Please review our Policies and Procedures before registering or commenting
Or login with:
OpenID