July 8, 2010 Public Hearing on Increase of City Tax Rate from $0.98 to $1.05 and soon the RETREAT!

A public hearing and vote on raising/amending the city tax rate from $0.98 to $1.05 takes place today at 4:00 PM at the City Center.

It's a public hearing, but Mayor Barile and most Councilmembers don't really listen to comments.

The tax rate vote and the budget that includes a new $10/month garbage "fee" for citizens and a $100,000 new budget line item for the Mayor and Council and $30,000 new budget line item for the Administrator and increased "travel" money for the Mayor, Council, and Administrator are done deals.

City Administrator Tony Cox, Mayor Barile, and Council have socked it to the citizens while budgeting extra new money in the Administrator and Council budgets.  Now they are ready, in politicial lingo, "to move on."

On Tuesday, July 6, they started making plans to hold a council "retreat."  The Administrator wanted to have a "facilitator" work with council--sort of a Dr. Phil scenario. The Council nixed that--at least temporarily--and opted first for a Friday-Saturday meeting in Johnson City that may involve an overnight stay at a Johnson City hotel.