Sanitation Fee Rate Hike

[AllanY2525]

If Jay is referring to the $10,000 bond banks must put up when they foreclose on properties in
Younstown,   This is where the banks put up $10,000 PER PROPERTY as a guarantee that they
will maintain those properties until they are sold to new owners.

If the city has to do any property maintenance, ie: cutting the grass, boarding the place up, etc
it takes the money out of the bond funds that it has already obtained, in advance, from the banks.

The city also charges the banks a mandatory $200 "processing fee" for each REO [bank owned]
property that is non-refundable.  I remember reading this back when the city started the
program. 

If my memory is serving me correctly, the article had mentioned that the city collected around
$900,000 from this at the time.  I seriously doubt that the city is considering giving all this money
back to the banks while they still own these properties.   Now, as to the success or failure of this
program = the questions that need to be asked are:



1) Are the banks now keeping up these foreclosed properties?

2) If not, has the city been keeping up it's end of the deal by cutting grass, boarding
up properties that need boarding up, etc?

3) Is the city keeping a record what work has been done and what funds were taken
from the bond fund?


The answers to these questions would tell us whether this program is a success or a
failure.


NOW - the Sanitation rate hike we're all talking about in this thread is a totally different
issue.  THIS is about using the Sanitation Dept. funds to do demolitions on abandonded
and unsafe properties, etc. not property maintenance for foreclosed, bank-owned
properties.

[Towntalk]

THREE CHEERS FOR JAY ... YOU'VE ASKED SOME VERY IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, AND WE THANK YOU.

[jay]

If we adopt this new program, does that mean that the foreclosure bond program for property upkeep was a failure?

Will the foreclosure bond program be eliminated?

[jay]

Councilman Swierz and Councilman Ray are in favor of this new sanitation enterprise fund.

[AllanY2525]

The city is also LOWERING the water rates to offset the increase
in sanitation fees.  Very little effect on how much people will be
paying each month on their bill.

The city also wants an exemption for seniors who are home owners,
to mitigate any impact on them since they are on a fixed income.

Suburban water customer outside the city are not exempt, but then
they tend to have an income that is considerably higher than that of
your average city resident, so they can afford it for the most part.

The city can only use water funds for water related issues, but it
can use the sanitation fees for anything.  It's called being creative
so that the city can continue address a major problem in the city
in the face of dwindling grant funds. 

Everyone wants services and improvements from the city, but no
one wants to pay for them.  The city has a limited budget, a small
fraction of the revenues it had back in the day when the population
was much higher and tax revenues, etc were many times what they
are today.

This being the case, it is still expected by residents that the city
continue to maintain what is already built, reduce the size of the
built infrastructure to match the population in modern times (ie:
downsizing) and make improvements - all at the same time and
without burdening its citizens with the costs.

Not a very realistic expectation.....

Mahoning county recently joined other local governments in  the
state that are putting their "checkbook" on the new website started
by the state auditor,  for all to see and review.

Youngstown should do the same - it would provide the transparency
its citizens deserve and show where all the money goes.  It might be
a big eye opener to some who have no clue on just how expensive it
really is for the city to carry out its operations in this day and age
using the revenues it has available.

IF the website reveals waste, fraud, etc - then a great service will
have been done for the citizens of Youngstown -  and shame, SHAME
on the city.....

[jay]

This is a 68% increase in sanitation fees (for garbage collection) to now fund demolitions.

I see it as a tax hike to fund a program that should be funded from the general fund budget and it will be imposed without the vote of the residents of Youngstown

[Towntalk]

http://www.vindy.com/news/2015/sep/29/city-proposes--hike-in-sanitation-fees-t/