Featured comments from our discussion at facebook.com/crestview.bulletin:
City government isn't a business
It seems that we have asked the employees to provide a service that we are not willing to do.
Is it unreasonable to pay our public safety personnel a salary that is commensurate to the risk and danger they face every day they go on shift?
What most people do not know is that in the last year, the (fire department) has given up their incentive pay, a stipend for holding specialty certifications that the citizens … benefit from and, trust me, a mere 4 percent increase will not make up for what was taken away…
Now, some of you out there like to compare the city to a business. The city is a public sector entity. Therefore, they do not produce a product for profit as you would find in the private sector.
The fire chief tried to provide an avenue for the city to fund capital assets, seeing that, according to the tax rolls, less than 50 percent of the tax base is paying property taxes.
Could this idea work?
Yes, but it needs to be presented way before the budget hearings start and it needs to be marketed to show why it is feasible.
…Another thing people do not realize is that majority of the people that live in the greater Crestview area are military affiliated. They enjoy the benefits of the commissary, (Base Exchange) and, more importantly, inexpensive health care.
Have you asked to see what a police officer or firefighter has to pay just to cover his or her family under the city plan?
Stop complaining that they are asking for a raise; you have it made compared to them.
The question you ask is, "What have we asked of them?" Looks like … we are asking a lot from them for very little compensation.
We should be ashamed.
Neal Ferguson
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Sounding like Washington D.C.
(Crestview City Council members) Robyn (Helt) and Tom (Gordon) are right: The city is writing checks it can't cash.
Any other business doesn't give raises when faced with a deficit.
… It sounds just like Washington spending more than they take in!
Andy Wilson
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Tax payers provide tax dollars
"Buy a loaf of bread to go with the meat we've been giving," (Crestview City Council President Shannon Hayes says.)
We isn't the council. It's the taxpayers! We pay enough!
Sara Smith
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HUBBUB: City government isn't a business; taxpayers provide funding