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| If we say we need additional revenue and a tax increase on one hand, but then in the next breath approve $2 Million in Discretionary spending for local unaffiliated non-profit entities--what message are we really sending to the taxpayers that fund our operations? |
I have said a number of times over my three years on the board that we need to phase-out the expenditures from our general fund to non-profit entities that request funding yearly.
I attempted last year to cut some significant funding from several entities that would have survived the cuts and generated the revenue elsewhere. I was not successful in getting my peers to see the wisdom in doing that.
So this year we are being asked to consider raising the fire MSBU on all property owners in Escambia County--because we supposedly do not have enough revenue for the fire service--while simultaneously we are being asked to consider funding nearly $2 Million for several dozen local nonprofit entities.
What message does that send to the citizens that expect us to be wise fiscal stewards of their limited resources?
And to be clear----I support the work of these nonprofits and the need to get to a reduced level of funding for these groups from our general fund should in no way be construed as an assault on the value of these organizations. They are great and they do great things for our community. And several of them save us money by serving as mechanisms of cost avoidance.
So I will say again what I believe we need to do. Cut 25% from the allocations this year, 50% next year, and year three onward let the chips fall where they may.
This will give these groups at least a glideslope they can navigate as they strategize ways to fill in the funding gaps with other sources (crowdfunding, grants, additional fundraisers, etc.).
It is time we do what most other counties already do in this arena.
