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What is this?
County should call city's bluff on recreation
Published Friday, September 21, 2007
If you are an elected leader, what is the best way to raise money?
This is not a trick question.
You get someone else to do it for you. Right?
Think about it. If you have a project that costs millions of dollars and yet you don’t have a bank account overflowing with money, what do you do?
Well, the first thing you don’t do is go to your tax-paying constituents and say, “We are going to raise your taxes.”
Talk about political suicide. In a day when many voters already think they are over-taxed, suggesting a tax raise would be equal to announcing that you are not running for re-election.
Of course, if you could find someone else to pay for it, then you would not only be able to take credit for the project but you wouldn’t be taking phone calls all day long from angry citizens.
From my vantage point, that is exactly what is happening with the city-county recreation debate.
The city primaries are only 222 days away, and what better way to start campaigning than to announce a multi-million dollar spectacular project that will benefit every child in the county.
And the best thing about this stupendous plan is that city taxpayers are not going to have to pay one dime more in taxes.
No, not in the City of Natchez.
Part of the money will come from the Lane Company — which hasn’t committed to bringing a casino to Natchez.
Another part will come from state, federal and private sources — which haven’t been identified yet.
And get this, part of the money will come from the county. If you go by Mayor Phillip West’s first proposal the county would “commit to raising $4 million.” If you talk to other aldermen that number could be as high as $7.5 million.
Who gave city officials the authorization to tell the county how to spend its money?
Of course city leaders will say that is only a suggestion; they are not telling the county what to do.
But during Wednesday night’s talks between city and county leaders, it sounded as if county leaders were being pressed to at least commit to a city-county joint recreation plan — without specifics.
Not a problem, right?
How can you commit to a project where the only thing you know specifically is that the city wants millions of dollars you don’t have.
Will it come from bond money, from raising taxes or from some other source?
During the meeting supervisors Henry Watts and Sammy Cauthen both expressed concerns about where the county would get the money to fill the city’s request.
Did the city consult with supervisors to determine how much the county could spend on such a proposal?
Apparently not.
Listening to Wednesday’s meeting, one thing became clear to me. The county wants specifics and the city doesn’t have them.
What will the money buy? City leaders don’t know. What kind of recreational facilities will be included? City leaders don’t know. Where will the complex be? City leaders don’t know.
All they do know is that they need the county to commit to the project and to commit to funding the project.
The consultant will handle the rest, they say.
It puts county leaders in a difficult position and it has city leaders sitting pretty.
If the county commits to the project they have to make difficult choices. Unlike the city, they don’t have a Lane Company or other big revenue source. Will they have to raise taxes, issue bonds? Both approaches may be hard to stomach.
As far as the city is concerned, if supervisors agree to the project, great. If supervisors decide not to commit to the project, they have someone to blame for project’s failure.
Of course, the city said they could go it alone, if supervisors ultimately decided not to commit to the project.
If I were the supervisors, that might be one proposal I would accept.
Ben Hillyer is the web editor of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3540.
Comments
Posted by natchez1 (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 1:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ben, good article.
Recreation is only rolled out during election time, every four years they either hire a consultant or dust off the "plans" developed before the previous election. A $100,000 is a great number - It's big enough to say "we are serious about this" but does not bankrupt the city, also does anyone ever check to see what was really spent on the consultant?
Yes a wonderful complex would be nice but without a major change in the Natchez/Adams county's revenues, even if someone was to give us a $15,000,000 complex we would struggle to maintain it. Without the gift we would sink under the debt load.
The politicians know they can't afford it - it is time they thought of a new re-election ploy - we might be smart enough to remember the last 3 or 4 times they have played this hand.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on September 21, 2007 at 1:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good article, Ben.
Looks like the supervisors have been reading the comment section for newspaper articles on the proposed recreation plan by the city. Other than spending $100,000 on a consultant, the city has no plan. The city want even dust off the old plan and the city’s funding is suspect at best. If city has to go it alone, then the “grandiose idea” is dead.
The best strategy for the Supervisors is to tell the city to proceed with their recreational plan. The Supervisors will be passed the election cycle, while the mayor and aldermen will be facing election. My, my, I would not want to go into an election cycle with that kind of snafu hanging over my head.
However, that might just be the ticket we need to clean house. Vote the Ins, Out!
Posted by pimpmyride (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 3:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
YES, ANYONE CAN SEE THAT THE MAYOR IS TRYING TO PIMP THE CITIZENS OF NATCHEZ INTO VOTING FOR HIM AGAIN BY HIS BIG PUSH FOR A 15 MILLION DOLLAR RECREATION COMPLEX.---- ELECTION TIME JUST AROUND THE CORNER... TAXES WILL INCREASE, MAYBE NOT THIS YEAR, BUT IF AND WHEN THIS PROJECT GETS STARTED, "WE ALL WILL PAY FOR IT"..they spent one hundred thousand dollars like it was growing on trees. this money comes from my and your property taxes, car tags, etc. we spent several years ago, $100,000 on this idea. that is a lot of money, lot of money for a "consultant".. makes me sick... consult with the citizens of natchez and adams county and see what we need for our kids and families for recreation. mayor, wait till the chicken lays the eggs before you try to sell them at the farmers market..
Posted by roberth33 (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Excellent point Natchez1. Maintenence. What is THAT going to cost ANNUALLY on a project like this? Phillip? Aldermen? Supervisors?
$15 mil will fix a lot of streets and sidewalks.
Where are your priorities, elected people???
Posted by destiny (anonymous) on September 21, 2007 at 11:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
reat article Ben. Very informative and much welcomed. "Me thinks" our forum is being read. But is it doing what we want it to do? That yet remains to be seen. Good point, and I quote,"The county wants specifics and the city does not have them." My mind is still boggled with the notion that the city expects such a large amount of money from the county, knowing full well the county has no way of raising it and then has the audacity to admit they have no ground work plans to go by. As I've said before Sammy has fought a tough battle for a long time, but thank the good Lord he has someone with good ole horse sense now to back him up in Henry, who also has done a very outstanding job in protecting his people. The two wards are very fortunate to have these two fine men to watch out for them. It's heart warming to know there are those that are not in it just for the money. Keep it up guys. Please DO NOT LET THEM SUCKER PUNCH YOU FROM BEHIND. Stand your ground because as I've said before the county is part of the whole, meaning they are very much a big part of Natchez.
Posted by NtzMom55 (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 6:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
This is the kind of reporting from the Democrat that needs to continue. So many things that the "elected crooks of Natchez" are misleading to the voters. Thank you Democrat for doing what is right for our citizens by exposing the truth. The Mayor and his cronies need to move on (move out). Natchez city voters need to wake up and smell the coffee for a change, unless they want to continue to be lead on by Satan himself. The Supervisors need to find some common sense also and realize that they are just a "pawn in the plan". Thanks Ben Hillyer for your bravery and honesty!!!!!!
Posted by guy2co (anonymous) on September 22, 2007 at 12:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think that this is the same ole election tricks that have been played on Natchez time after time. This group of aldermen and the mayor were not even conserned about this until it got close to election time. Why don't we offer tax incentives for recreational businesses. It would be great to atract private recreation that tax payers did not have to pay for.Look at Gulf shores with the go-cart tracts,rides and putt putt golf. Do we not have enough kids (local and tourist) to support a facility like this.Maybe if we do need to raise extra money for consultants we can have a fund raising dunking-booth with a few choice politicians, I'm sure the voters in this area would raise well above the $100,000 we need.
Posted by gemccull (Gary McCullars) on September 22, 2007 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Or we could raise funds with a catapult! Each launch would be funded by donations to get rid of the good old boy, do nothing, whining politicans.
Posted by MScomments (anonymous) on October 7, 2007 at 10:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I look at these comments and wonder... what are you waiting for? Look at Natchez! Once, the most beautiful, thriving, city on the river, and now, most industries have closed up and left town.
The few businesses who did survive the oil bust are riding the current wave, but no one knows how long it will last. Tourism is about the only thing Natchez has to bet on right now. So, what are you expecting out of the government representatives you so easily condemn?
If you aren't willing to raise taxes to support a recreation facility for your children, then do you expect them to just wave their magic wands and ... wha..la!! The million-dollar project is funded?
If the people of Adams County and the City of Natchez would say..."WE ALL AGREE that we need a first class recreational facility, and I am willing to give my fair share to do this," the plan would drawn up and put into place immediately, especially if Joe Eidt is a part of the team. He has been working on this possibility for many, many years, not just in an election year!!
What is needed is a unified effort. Fresh leadership. Not the same ole, same ole!
If someone asked you to join an exclusive, first class recreational facility for only $75 a year, including your whole family, would you do so? Of course! But, you say "no" to $75 a year in 'TAXES'... So should we call it a "Membership" instead of TAXES?
This Membership payment would not only provide a first class recreational facility, but also bring in additional tax revenue from the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will come to our city for baseball tournaments, tennis tournaments, soccer tournaments, swim meets, and other sporting events. This, in turn, will help fund the city and county budgets to maintain the rec facility.
Guess what?... It is being done in other cities, even much smaller than Natchez, and is very successful!! Of course, if you don't THINK it can be done, then it most certainly will NOT be done!!
Look at it this way...
What do you have to loose by supporting efforts to move forward in Natchez? Peter Rinaldi seems to think that some of the current politicians are "protecting" the citizens of Adams County by not raising taxes. Tell me this... where has it taken Natchez in the past five or ten years? NO WHERE!!! Where will it take Natchez if this same attitude is continued... NO WHERE!
We will all look back, again, and complain about how the county and city continuously fought over money, power, and how to fund the rec facility. So, why not give them something to work with? They can't make mountains out of mole hills! They can't make a castle out of two sticks! ...And they can't improve the city/county without the funds to do it. This is for YOU! This is for YOUR CHILDREN!! Quit blaming it on the government officials and give them something to work with so THEY CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU!
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