Comments on: Why Exactly is the City in a Budget Deficit? The Mayor Explains http://www.mayorcohen.com/2010/03/04/why-exactly-is-the-city-in-a-budget-deficit-the-mayor-explains/ The official blog of Josh Cohen, Mayor of the City of Annapolis Sat, 12 Nov 2011 21:19:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Rick Weaver http://www.mayorcohen.com/2010/03/04/why-exactly-is-the-city-in-a-budget-deficit-the-mayor-explains/comment-page-1/#comment-500 Rick Weaver Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:56:11 +0000 http://www.mayorcohen.com/?p=109#comment-500 The deficit will only grow larger as you alienate your tax base with poor decisions. My company, Morgan Stanley, has been a long time tenant of the city marina complex. We pay rent, taxes, eat at local food establishments, as well as pay above market parking fees. We stay because Annapolis is a wonderful place to work, but you are trying our patience. The marina complex has been in a constant state of renovation for a long as we can remember. The parking lot has been redone twice in the past 2 years and just recently the "boardwalk" was torn up less than 2 years from being completed. On a personal note, I have been really ticked off by 2 things: 1. The closing of Waterworks park with no public input. 2. A stop sign "trap" at the corner across from the closed movie theater. This has been a confusing stop for 20 years and everyone knows it. To use this confusion as a revenue generator is just plain wrong. You are driving away your tax base and that is not good my friend. The deficit will only grow larger as you alienate your tax base with poor decisions. My company, Morgan Stanley, has been a long time tenant of the city marina complex. We pay rent, taxes, eat at local food establishments, as well as pay above market parking fees. We stay because Annapolis is a wonderful place to work, but you are trying our patience. The marina complex has been in a constant state of renovation for a long as we can remember. The parking lot has been redone twice in the past 2 years and just recently the “boardwalk” was torn up less than 2 years from being completed.

On a personal note, I have been really ticked off by 2 things:

1. The closing of Waterworks park with no public input.
2. A stop sign “trap” at the corner across from the closed movie theater. This has been a confusing stop for 20 years and everyone knows it. To use this confusion as a revenue generator is just plain wrong.

You are driving away your tax base and that is not good my friend.

]]> By: Bill http://www.mayorcohen.com/2010/03/04/why-exactly-is-the-city-in-a-budget-deficit-the-mayor-explains/comment-page-1/#comment-425 Bill Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:31:28 +0000 http://www.mayorcohen.com/?p=109#comment-425 We have not raised taxes since Dean Johnson was mayor. That's over ten years ago. Meanwhile, inflation has increased by at least 20%. The cost of doing business has grown significantly, while the city's revenue stream has remained the same, and during the current economic downturn has actually been reduced. EVERY municipality in Maryland has raised taxes in this time period, many more than once. There is undoubtedly room for reducing staff, services, and projects, but to balance the books on the backs of city employees is simply wrong and unfair. We have not raised taxes since Dean Johnson was mayor. That’s over ten years ago. Meanwhile, inflation has increased by at least 20%. The cost of doing business has grown significantly, while the city’s revenue stream has remained the same, and during the current economic downturn has actually been reduced. EVERY municipality in Maryland has raised taxes in this time period, many more than once. There is undoubtedly room for reducing staff, services, and projects, but to balance the books on the backs of city employees is simply wrong and unfair.

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