Coons’ CYA Moment.
Chris Coons and county council members are embarking on a 12-stop listening tour Thursday to gather public input on the government’s financial crisis. They are going to get an earful, and no doubt half of the complaints will come from Nancy Willing and Liz Allen at all twelve stops. (Just kidding).
But this listening tour has only one objective in mind: CTA. Cover Their Asses. Coons and the county council knows they are going to cut services and raise taxes in order to cover the $32 million budget shortfall. But after seeing the outcry Philadelphia Mayor Nutter brought on himself by closing the public libraries in Philadelphia without public input, they could ill afford to do the same thing here.
He wants to hear from residents about what services they can live with — and live without — as county officials grind into the budget season with ax in hand.
Residents who go to the meetings will hear a presentation on services the county offers, how much they cost and details of the county’s financial problems. A group discussion will follow, with a chance for residents to ask questions and offer their opinions.
So if you value a service, or do not want to see your taxes raised, go to the meeting. If you want to criticize the way the county spends its money, go to the meeting. This is your chance to get your voice heard. If you don’t go, don’t complain later when libraries are closed. Here is the schedule and locations of the 12 meetings, which all begin at 6 pm:
Thursday: Edgemoor Community Center, 500 Duncan Road, Bellefonte
Monday, Jan. 26: Kirk Middle School, 140 Brennen Drive, Newark
Jan. 29: Cranston Heights Fire Hall, 3306 Kirkwood Highway, Prices Corner
Feb. 4: Brandywine Hundred Library, 1300 Foulk Road
Feb. 9: Hockessin Memorial Hall, 1225 Old Lancaster Pike, Hockessin
Feb. 11: Gilliam Building, 77 Reads Way, New Castle
Feb. 19: New Castle County Southern Patrol Police Station, 605 N. Broad St., Middletown
Feb. 23: Mill Creek Fire Hall, 3900 Kirkwood Highway, Marshallton
Feb. 26: Rose Hill Community Center, 19 Lambson Lane, New Castle
March 4: P.S. du Pont Elementary School, 701 W. 34th St., Wilmington
March 9: Newark Free Library, 750 Library Ave., Newark
March 11: Holloway Terrace Fire Hall, 700 West Ave., New Castle
Lose the ice cream festival and don’t raise my property or sewer taxes. My mortgage is now $400 higher since 2002 when I moved to this glorified clap-trap…Between Red Clay, the sewer and real estate taxes, I’m wiped. They just opened 1500 slots of Section 8 in NCC – which makes me very happy for those in need, but of course it’ll take them 2 years to actually place these people. I will definitely be attending my local meeting.
I will attend mine as well.
Mine is this Thursday, so I will file a full report.
I’ll be attending mine, if all goes according to plan.
Oh yeah, if they want to raise property taxes, I’m okay with that.
D’Anna talked about reassessment instead of property tax increases. What do you all think of that?
Say ‘Hi!’ to Pam and Paul for me.
Isn’t “rassessment” just another way to raise property taxes?
It’s the backdoor way. I think I’d rather have a reassessment than a property tax hike. Of course, I came from a place recently (New York) where they do both in one year.
I live in the city of Wilmington. My 2008 taxes as reported by my mortgage company:
Local tax: $1,152.44
County tax: $1,616.09
I often wonder what I am ‘getting’ for my county taxes. Does anyone know exactly what ‘services’ (except the slowly deterriorating Woodlawn Library grounds) the county provides to the city residents, please answer…..
If there are no answers here I suppose I’ll just have to go to P.S. and ask out loud and hope other city residents cover my back.
Good question, Susan. I’ll be at P.S as well… in March!
Under Delaware law, reassessment must be revenue-neutral except for the money to pay for the reassessment. That expense pretty much guarantees it won’t happen anytime soon.
Anyone looking to improve Delaware should stay as far away from Vince D’Anna as possible. His ability can be summed up in the numbers in the polls he conducted for various losing candidates — none were correct, and most were double digits off the actual vote.
Susan,
City of Newark residents raise similar questions, but the services you receive from the county as a resident of a municpality are the county library system which you mentioned, but also when you travel in unincorporated areas county police and emergency medical response.
I currently live in the City of Newark,but find I am travelling through unincorporated areas every day and like having the services available when needed. Plus, land use decisions made in regard to unincorporated areas near a municipality impact the quality of life in that municipality, since these decisions impact things like population density and the level of demand placed on infrastructure.
Duh, county property taxes may not by Delaware law be raised via reassessment and D’anna knows it. It helps in the long run though.
You are one confused dude, U I.
Susan, you are paying too much for city taxes.