Wednesday, August 5, 2009

A Message from Former Mayor, Candy Sheehan

The Coppell City Council is recommending a 5 cent tax rate increase for next year’s budget. But does the City NEED to raise our taxes this year?

At the Council’s final budget workshop last Thursday night (7/30/09), 7 out of 7 councilmembers recommended that city staff move forward with a budget that will raise your tax rate 5 cents (from .6486 to .6986) for next year’s budget (average homeowner will pay approximately $150 more in city taxes).

Council said they wanted to raise the tax rate to cover the debt payment on the property we purchased as part of the Northlake settlement. That might be understandable, but how about that huge fund balance that the Council is holding on to? There is $37,000,000 in the General Fund Balance (i.e. “rainy day fund”, “savings account”, "reserve") and at least $16,000,0000 is “undesignated”, or not allocated. The debt payment on the Northlake property is approximately $2,800,000, so if the Council already has at least $16,000,000 “extra” of our money sitting in the bank, then why the overwhelming push to raise the tax rate next year? On top of that there is a $1,000,000 Tax Stabilization Fund that the Council is refusing to use. If not now, then when??

And, by the way, the operating budget that city staff has presented is very healthy. There are no layoffs, no cuts in service or in personnel, no closing of facilities, no mandatory furloughs – no cuts at all. There’s even enough for 2% increase for city employees which I think is great and well-deserved.


So, here is my Call To Action:

If you agree that the Council has made this decision to raise the tax rate without hearing from us, and

If you agree that THIS IS NOT THE YEAR TO RAISE MY TAX RATE, then:

1) Please forward this email to every Coppell resident in your address book,

2) Contact the Council individually and let them know you oppose the tax rate increase – phone numbers and email address is on the city website,

3) Write letters to the newspapers (Advocate, Gazette, Dallas Morning News)

4) Show up at the following City Council meetings and tell the Council how you feel:

a. Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30pm

b. Tuesday, August 25 at 7:30pm

c. Tuesday, September 1 at 6:00pm

d. Tuesday, September 8 at 7:30pm (FINAL VOTE ON THE BUDGET!)


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