A critical review of the so-called flat budget, based on prior revelations from the Town of Apple Valley, requires a little interpretation. When they issue a report that bad, you have to wonder … it must be even worse than they are willing to let the public know. The Town Council is not known for its transparency!
It’s time the voters of Apple Valley realize that we are broke! As in most information released by our incompetent leaders, too much is not revealed and, overstated (as to projected income), understated (as to expenses), or not revealed (as to repair, maintenance and upkeep of the roads, and parks), as well as the understatement of the cost of legal fees and expenses dealing with the hostile (gamble) effort to take over the water company by eminent domain. Then there is the $100,000 per month loss in running the golf course, and the unfunded liability in the employee retirement funds, as well as the $7 million robbed from the wastewater account.
I would suggest that the Town Council consider allowing the position of Town Manager to be permanently replaced from within, and thus by attrition reduce payroll by that amount. A hiring freeze and possible reduction in the number of top management positions could cover the cost of badly needed repair and maintenance of our roads and other infrastructure.
In my view, the payroll and general and administrative expenses are excessive for a town of only 70,000 total population.
There is only one way out of the financial dilemma: reduce costs, where possible, and the place to start is payroll. In the case of this Council, cut legal fees and expenses.
Lee Bell, Apple Valley
Source: Daily Press