Archive: Opinions

I am one of those people who thinks that Town of Lansing taxes are as good as taxes can be, given that they are taxes, which I really don't like.  The services they pay for are top notch.  I know some people think the Town could charge less, but for me the excellent highway department is worth the tax money.  While you could argue that parks and recreation are not necessities, in Lansing they are so well used and well loved (and are the epitome of doing more with less) that it would be hard to argue that they're not worth what we pay for them. 
Our courts work well, and so much of the money they collect goes to the State that it is nearly impossible to figure out what the real cost is.  But the cost to taxpayers seems reasonable to me.  The Codes Office and Clerk's Office seem to run well.  Some people get mad when things inevitably happen, but Town employees seem to be to be generally straightforward and get the job done.

This year I sat in on almost all of the budget meetings.  As gatherings of the Town Board they are all open to the public, though about half the time I was 100% of the public, and in a few cases I was 50%.  I was actually surprised at the depth to which board members discussed details, and at the range of issues they considered.  Everything was on the table -- jobs, equipment, raises.  There was a guiding awareness of tough economic times.

I was also surprised at how much listening was going on.  Department heads did a good job in preparing their budgets with cuts the Board had asked for.  They came back to be questioned, or to defend something they thought should be kept in order to be able to provide quality service to town taxpayers.  At least three positions were on the table to be cut or reduced.  Two were ultimately reduced from full to part time, but not without a lot of discussion and thought.  At one point three Planning Board members came to encourage the Board to keep one position at full time, and their arguments were taken into consideration even though the position was ultimately reduced.

I'll say this:  I didn't see any of the people who think Town taxes are too high at any of those meetings.  With the listening that was happening I think it would have had an impact.

In addition to department heads, representatives from groups that receive money from the Town were heard.  Especially after the Town Attorney found the town was out of compliance in terms of how public money is given to laudable, but not public groups, they encouraged representatives to fulfill requirements that would allow the Town to keep contributing.  Three of five groups were ultimately funded.

The County's decision to cut Youth Services has been especially controversial this year.  From the beginning all the Town Board members said they intended to continue funding Lansing Youth Services at the current levels.  Representatives from youth Services initially asked for just that, saying they could continue in some form if the Town would not reduce its contribution as the County did.  There was much discussion about whether the Town should contribute more, but four of the five Board members felt that with cuts being made in all other areas of the Town budget that it would not be right to increase one (and one that is technically not part of the Town government).  Additionally board members felt that Lansing Youth Services can do more to raise private cash, whether it be by chicken barbecues or other means.  At least one Lansing Youth Services Commission member said, at one of the meetings, that increased fund raising is part of their plan.

Lansing elected officials decided not to give themselves raises.  Lansing Councilmen get $9,645 per year, with the Deputy Supervisor getting $12,860, and the Supervisor $30,006.    By contrast our State legislators currently get $79,500 plus a per diem.  Nobody is getting rich running for Town office.

Everyone had an opportunity to tell the Board what they wanted.  In order to get it, they had to be convincing.  Board members generally don't micro-manage in the Town, so they were appreciative when one department head brought what was easily thousands of pages of detailed documentation that both quantifies the work that department does and saves the Town money by providing proof of work done that can prevent lawsuits.

I'm not saying that I like taxes.  Or that any government is perfect.  But I was impressed with the process I saw our five Town legislators go through, spending hours on nothing but budget issues -- often four hours at a time -- every week for two months.  And of course the expertise of Bookkeeper/Personnel Officer Sharon Bowman made it possible for them to understand which money goes for what, and why.

Maybe I'm a pushover, but I have to say that these days I'm a sucker for legislators making really tough decisions to cut things to get in balance with the economic times.  In the past I never thought about it -- in general I loved the idea of a small government just doing what is really necessary, but I didn't really think about what that might be.  I did see that kind of thought in these budget meetings, and have done some soul searching about things I like that our governments do that I think taxpayers, perhaps shouldn't be paying for.

Looking at things with new eyes from time to time, thinking in terms of what would we need if we started new, rather than what do we need to conserve what's here... that's the way to keep taxes down.  My impression is that the Lansing Board did a lot of that -- two new board members certainly came in with new eyes, and the other three seemed to be thinking in that vein.

The result was both a reduced levy and a reduced tax rate for next year.  Plus the Town is paying off debt on the Town Hall and other things to reduce future expenses.  Sitting in on those meetings was certainly an eye opener.

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