Rocky River Watch

ROCKY RIVER CITY GOVERNMENT SPENDING CUTS – FRED SOKOL’S 20% SOLUTION!

To: Rocky River City School District, Rocky River City Government, Rocky River Business Community and Fellow Residents,

LESS TAX, LESS CITY GOVERNMENT, MORE FREEDOM IS COMING TO ROCKY RIVER FOR RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES!



·         C’MON FELLOW ROCKY RIVER TAXPAYERS! WHY DOES ROCKY RIVER CITY GOVERNMENT PROPOSE A ‘SPENDING BUDGET’ OF $51,233,199.00 IN 2007? TO JUST MAINTAIN ROCKY RIVER, THAT IS APPROXIMATELY JUST, FOUR (4) SQUARE MILES?

·         WHEN I AM ELECTED MAYOR OF ROCKY RIVER IN 2007, I WILL CUT 20% OF ROCKY RIVER CITY GOVERNMENT’S (1.) EMPLOYEE COST AND (2.) GENERAL EXPENSES BY 2009! (3.) CUT TAXES (4.) ESTABLISH A SPENDING CAP (5.) REFUND SURPLUS TO TAXPAYERS!

·          I ALSO WANT TO GIVE YOU ‘MORE FREEDOM’ WITH YOUR MONEY. SO YOU CAN SPEND MORE ON YOURSELF AND ON YOUR FAMILY. RATHER THAN HAVING YOUR MONEY STORED IN THE ROCKY RIVER CITY GOVERNMENT TREASURY.   IT IS YOUR MONEY!

·          TIME HAS COME TODAY TO ‘CUT THE FAT’ FROM ROCKY RIVER CITY GOVERNMENT’S CITY BUDGET AND SEND CITY MONEY SURPLUS BACK TO YOU, THE TAXPAYER!

·          BELOW IS HOW I WILL DO IT!

CUT CITY EMPLOYEE COST

(1) $15,142,087.00 was the proposed Rocky River city government spending budget for “SALARY” in 2007. (2) $4,899,453.00 was the proposed Rocky River city government spending budget for “FRINGE BENEFITS” in 2007.

$20,041,540.00 was the combined ‘budget total’ for Rocky River city government employee (1.) SALARY and (2.) FRINGE BENEFITS – proposed by Rocky River City Government – for 2007.

I propose to cut 20% of $20,041,540.00 and bring “salary and fringe benefits” total down to $16,033,232.00 in 2009. Here is how I will do it.

·          No city worker will be fired!

·          All present Rocky River City Employees will be given a chance for a job.   Either they will keep their current job or they will be reassigned to another Rocky River City Government Job.

·          To reduce city workforce, I will offer buyouts to city employees qualified for a buyout, or city employees retiring. City Employees will not be forced to take a buyout or to retire.

·          When city employees do leave they will not be replaced unless their city position is necessary to be refilled.

·          Rocky River city government will seek to purchase ‘city worker’ insurance benefits in a regional program where other government’s and their employees are now covered. That can also guarantee ‘good coverage for city employees at a good price’ and save money on fringe benefits.

·          All Rocky River city government employees will work their prescribed hours when scheduled, unless there is sickness, emergency or vacation.   No one will be sent home early just because there is no work. There will always be work to do in the city of Rocky River.

·          When I am elected Mayor I will be a full-time mayor of Rocky River and my only paying job. Any other duties I do I’ll do without payment.

CUT ‘GENERAL’ CITY EXPENSES

$31,191,659.00 was the proposed Rocky River city government spending budget for “OTHER” in 2007.

I propose to cut 20% of $31,191,659.00 and bring “Other” total down to $24,953,327.20 in 2009. Here is how I will do it.

·          I will cut ‘general city expenses’ across the board by 20% by 2009.

·          I will shut down some Rocky River city government departments. I will then give the shut down city department’s “duties” to another city department to handle. The shut down city department’s staff will then be reassigned to other city jobs. (More on this later.)

·          Rocky River city government will also ‘purchase goods regionally’ to get the best price and save money for whatever the city needs to operate with.

·          Rocky River City Government will never deficit spend. Nor borrow money needlessly.   Nor spend more than they take in per year.

·          The Rocky River Recreation Department especially will operate on money it brings in on their own accord. The Recreation Department will not be subsidized by Rocky River taxpayers.

    3. CUT TAXES.

The City Council shall not (1.) levy a new tax, or (2.) increase the rate of an existing tax, without an affirmative vote of the majority of electors voting on the issue in the city.

·         A (100% credit from Rocky River income tax) for residents earning an income in localities outside Rocky River – (equal to Rocky River’s income tax rate).

·         A (city income tax cut by one third) from 1½% to 1% for those earning an income in Rocky River.

·        The Municipal Income Tax Rate upon all taxable income subject to taxation under the ordinances of the City of Rocky River shall be at the rate of one percent (1%);

The Resident Income Tax Credit allowable to residents of the City of Rocky River on all taxable income subject to taxation under the ordinances of the City of Rocky River and taxed in another municipality or joint economic development district shall be equal to 100% of the tax paid to such municipality or joint economic development district up to a maximum rate equal to the Municipal Income Tax Rate above.

     4. ESTABLISH A SPENDING CAP

SPENDING LIMITS. The City Council shall not enact or otherwise authorize an increase in aggregate city expenditures for a fiscal year that exceeds the aggregate city expenditures for the previous fiscal year by a percentage that is greater than the sum of the rate of inflation plus the rate of population increase.

(1.) The City Council may enact or otherwise authorize an increase in aggregate city expenditures that exceeds the foregoing limitation only upon passage of an ordinance which

(a.) specifically identifies the amount and purpose of the excess expenditures and the means by which the revenue necessary to fund the excess expenditures shall be generated,

(b.) receives the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of the members of The City Council, and

(c.) shall be subject to a vote of affirmation by a majority of electors at the next citywide special, primary or general election occurring more than sixty days after passage.

(d.) If a majority of electors voting at such an election approve the ordinance, the ordinance shall take effect thirty days after the election.

    5. REFUND SURPLUS TO TAXPAYERS!

SURPLUS LIMITS. A 'Budget Reserve Fund' shall be established by The City Council for the purpose of receiving and holding budgetary reserves for the City.

(1.) Money may be appropriated directly to the said Budget Reserve Fund by legislation enacted by The City Council, provided that such appropriations to the Budget Reserve Fund for the fiscal year in which they are made shall be subject to the expenditure limitation established by subsection (A) of this section.

(2.) Additionally, at the end of each fiscal year, all unencumbered money in the separate general revenue funds and ten percent of all unencumbered money in all non-general revenue funds, as determined by The Director of Finance for the city shall be transferred to the Budget Reserve Fund by The City Council.

(3.) If, on the first day of the fiscal year, the said Budget Reserve Fund exceeds twenty percent (20%) of the aggregate city expenditures for the preceding fiscal year, all money in excess of these amounts shall be refunded by The Director of Finance for the city on a pro rata basis to all individuals who paid Rocky River Municipal Income Tax in the preceding calendar year.

(4.) Money in the Budget Reserve Fund may be expended by The City Council for any lawful purpose, provided that the aggregate expenditures from their separate Budget Reserve Fund for the fiscal year in which such expenditures are made shall be subject to the expenditures limitation established by subsection (A) of this section.

(5.) Any interest earnings from these said separate Budget Reserve Funds shall be credited to that specific fund.

THOSE ARE MY REASONS, AND MY 20% SOLUTION FOR LESS TAX, LESS CITY GOVERNMENT, MORE FREEDOM FOR ROCKY RIVER RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.

SO HELP ME GOD!

Thank You!

Fred I. Sokol - Resident – Rocky River, Ohio - 440-521-5452 + scrdhrt2@cox.net + www.votesokol.com

CC: Rocky River City School District, Rocky River City Government, Rocky River Chamber of Commerce, WestLife , Sun Herald, Plain Dealer Newspaper. Westlaker Times, Fred Sokol’s Weekly E-Mail Recipients + www.votesokol.com

Paid by: Vote Sokol Committee - Thomas J. Spagnoletti, Treasurer - 1459 Prospect Avenue, Rocky River, Ohio 44116