End Wasteful Spending

There are some programs and services I consider to be non-essential. Cutbacks made in these areas would translate into lower taxes and energy rates for everyone:

Please Note: Every program listed here is not necessarily to be categorized as “bad”. Simply put, they are programs and initiatives that need to be classified as non-essential during times of economic crisis. The current recession has affected everyone, spending adjustments must be made and specific cutbacks put in place in order to make ends meet for households and businesses alike. The spending practices of local government should not be any different or held to a different, more lenient standard. The essential core services of local government that should be provided for first and foremost are: adequate law enforcement, fire protection, safe and well maintained roads, and the maintenance of infrastructure.

The Community Redevelopment Agency should be placed on a spending freeze until the local economic climate improves. Millions of taxpayer dollars currently flow through this department and its function is not considered to be a core service. One example of CRA’s wasteful spending: in 2009 this department constructed a brand new office building for itself from the ground up for over $800,000. Meanwhile, a plethora of vacant office space was available for sale or rent; this expense was not needed.
The GRU Biomass Plant could be eliminated based solely upon its fiscal failures and controversial environmental impact. Most notable is a contractual agreement that has locked the city (and thus residents serviced by GRU) into a 30 year fixed rate for power purchasing from a private company, without regard to fluctuations or reductions that may occur in the going rate. This is a good deal for the private company under contract with the city of Gainesville, but not for the GRU rate payer. There are concerns about whether enough fuel will be available and that the biomass plant will soon be obsolete, perhaps even before construction is complete.
The New GRU Operations Center is a $54 million project that will expand the facilities of GRU to an excessive scale. Energy consumption is currently going down, why does GRU need to expand its operations center? Why wasn’t pre-existing office space or refurbishing of the current operations center considered? This project should be restructured to be more cost effective.
Ironwood Golf Course in recent years has suffered a net loss between $700,000 and $800,000 each year. City officials decided to close the course down and give it a $1.5 million face lift last year. Ironwood cannot be sustained by the city budget and should be transferred back to the private sector or closed.
Buses Routes, Walking Trails and Sidewalks, are nice amenities, but should not be expanded during an economic crisis. Currently the Capitol Investments budget has over 46 million taxpayer dollars allocated to expanding these three non-essential services.
Mayor’s Research Assistant - Soon after taking office, the current Mayor added a new Research Assistant position to the city’s gluttonous budget and hired his campaign manager to fill the job. It pays over $30,000 annually. Previous Mayors were able to do their job without this luxury. The position should be eliminated.
Police Beat - The city funds a TV show produced in-house called Police Beat. This is not essential and should be eliminated.
Gainesville University - The city currently provides an employee resume building program to staff called Gainesville University. This is non-essential and should be eliminated.
City Gyms – Gyms provided for staff that does not include Police and Firefighters should be eliminated.
Salaries in excess of $75,000 - According to the City of Gainesville 2010 Pay-plan, city employees annual salaries in excess of $75,000 add up to be just under $11.3 million. A 5% pay-cut would save the taxpayers $565,000. (These numbers were assuming that salaries averaged out to be “Annual Grade Mid” level.)

End Wasteful Spending

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