March 20, 2008 Four for Four: Batting 1.000

I'm batting 1.000! See my predictions in my March 15 post.

According to yesterday's page 8 Tribune article, the City of Morristown is moving ahead with plans to hold a city-wide referendum after the narrow failure of the February 5th countywide sales tax referendum.

Nothing surprising about that. In every pre-February 5th front-page tax-promotion article in the Tribune, the City repeatedly stated that it would hold a city only sales tax referendum if the February 5th countywide referendum failed.

Where I'm 4 for 4 and batting 1.000 is in predicting the City's four plans for spending the $2 Million dollars that the City estimates it will take in if its city-wide referendum passes.

My March 15th predictions in blue and the City's March 18th intentions in red:

1. The City will reduce last year's historic $0.37 property tax increase by $0.15.
The City will reduce last year's historic $0.37 property tax increase by $0.15.

2. The City will give some of the increase to the schools.
The City will give some of the increase to the schools.

3. The City will use some of the increase to build up its fund balance that has been drained.
The City will use some of the increase to build up its fund balance that has been drained.

4. The City will use some of the increase for capital expenditures.
The City will use some of the increase for capital expenditures.

Four-for-four!

The article adds that the City will probably hold a special election instead of just placing the referendum on the ballot for the already-scheduled August or November election.

This means that the City taxpayers will have to pay roughly $8,000 for costs of the special election where there would be no cost to City taxpayers if the measure were placed on the August or November ballot.

In addition to the $8,000 in costs for a special election, the City is apparently planning to spend another $12,000 of taxpayer dollars for, as the paper reports, "public education and advocacy."

[NOTE: During the last referendum, the City was reported as planning to spend $4,000 for public education and advocacy via letters and signs to promote the sales tax. Looks like the City's ante has tripled.]

It's time for another prediction.

If it ever looks like the city special sales tax referendum won't pass---even with free front-page Tribune advertising/articles and even with the spending of $12,000 taxpayer dollars for "public education and advocacy"--- then the City will spend even more and do whatever it takes to educate and advocate for the passage of this referendum.

Cut spending? No. Live within your (the taxpayers') means? No.