Submitted by
Tim Poynter, Candidate Group 4
What are your ideas for increasing city revenues to avoid raising taxes?
“First of all, and as I have said consistently throughout our budget meetings, we need to reinvent the way we do government here in Fernandina Beach. The issue is not bigger government or smaller government. The issue is smarter government.
According to Einstein, doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results is the definition of insanity. Every year at budget time commissioners are faced with the same choices: cut positions and programs or raise taxes. By the time the choices reach the commissioners, there is no time to study options, consider long- and short-term impacts for the city and make reasoned decisions that can be communicated to the citizens without causing them anxiety. I have seen this same scenario played out over four budgets and under two different city managers.
I propose to work with the city manager and any of my interested fellow commissioners in an ongoing process to examine how the city can achieve efficiencies to lower the cost of government without needing to raise taxes, overburden city staff, or sacrifice the services we all rely on. There are plenty of good ideas that have already been offered over the years, many from our own city staff, who know the operation of the city better than anyone else. I would welcome a leadership role in this effort.
We need to continue to examine the city’s assets to make sure we are getting the most out of them. As an example, I pushed to have both the Golf Course and the Marina run by professional management groups to maximize their value to the city. Although my position was unpopular at first, both enterprise businesses have now substantially strengthened their financial statements while delivering a better experience to their customers. It’s this type of leadership and thinking that I continue to bring to the commission to lower the tax burden. If our enterprise businesses lose revenue, the shortfall comes out of our General Fund, meaning you, the taxpayer, must help out.
Another area that needs serious consideration is making voluntary annexation into the city more attractive. The more properties that choose to become part of our city, the lower the overall taxes will be for the average citizen. Collecting fewer taxes from more people will result in a stronger sense of community at a greater value to the average citizen.
We also need to expand partnership arrangements so that the costs of government and services can be shared appropriately among city and county taxpayers, with businesses and even non-profit groups. Just this past year, Centre Street businesses stepped up to the plate to help replace tree lights that will actually cost the city less in electric fees than previous ones. Our branch of the Nassau County Library will be rehabilitated and expanded with financial support from the city, the county and the Friends of the Library. The Nassau Humane Society and the Amelia Island Museum of History both perform needed services that save the city money. And it is likely that an historic city asset, the Centre Street Train Depot, will be restored with a combination of city funds, county funds through the county’s bed tax money, and private donations from the Restoration Foundation.
We have begun to make changes in the way we do business, but it will take time and committed leadership to maximize potential savings to the citizens.”
Editor’s Note: This is the fourth question in a series of five posed to candidates for the Fernandina Beach City Commission. The answers come to our readers unedited and in the candidates own words. We rotate the order of candidates from week to week. Ed Boner and incumbent Tim Poynter will seek Group 4, John Campbell Elwell and Pat K Gass will seek Group 5.
October 3, 2012 6:12 a.m.