When Will Carson Supervisors Ever Learn
Despite an imminent fiscal 'Pearl Harbor,' Carson's supervisors recently voted a net increase in already-generous fire department compensation by $587,000 over the next five years. Almost in the next breath, the supervisors commented that unless the economy improves, there would need to be employee layoffs and service cuts.
Yet instead of making less drastic cuts today (Example: Does the city library genuinely need an assistant director and two public relations/outreach staff at +$200,000/year with benefits and overhead?), our supervisors have pushed the unpleasant day of reckoning into the future. At that point, the cuts will be much more severe. Let's remember that unlike the Federal government, Carson City can't create new funding out of thin air.
A logical mind must ask this obvious question: Why are our supervisors such poor stewards of other people's money? The 2012-13 budget was passed with no reductions and property taxes were raised 15% to the maximum rate. Reserve funds are virtually non-existent in the event of a major natural disaster (fire, earthquake, etc.) or more economic declines because they have been spent down to support an unsustainable status quo.
When will the reckless spending stop? When will supervisors exhibit a backbone to say 'no' to unwarranted and excessive compensation increases and questionable projects when the city is perched on the edge of a financial chasm?