[quote=jpinpb]I do not believe that giving them more money is the answer. Take a look at the state of New Jersey. They pay high property taxes AND have to pay to drive on the highways. They still have budget problems. I don’t know what the solution to this dilemma is. All I know is if you give more money, it will be gone and they will still need/want more.[/quote]
Great post, jp.
IMHO, the only way to fix this would be to have full transparency and an oversight committee (volunteer) that would review income and expenses every 6-12 months, and then hold people accountable for their actions.
I’d also like to see the entire budget process changed. As it stands, you get money based on what you’ve spent, and if you max out your spending, you get more the next year.
I’d like to see incentives for saving. You get X number of dollars this year, and if you have anything left over, you get a bonus (the department, not the individual…too much potential for corruption if there are individual incentives).
It’s not just employee compensation that’s a problem. There is way too much fat in administration, and there are so many “backroom deals” with private contractors, vendors, developers, etc. that cost taxpayers millions of dollars, even in some of the smallest municipalities. All of this should be eliminated first.
