- April 20, 2024
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City employees are always more expensive than private employees
Dear Editor:
Last year the city officials raised our tax rate. They complained about the higher costs of fuel and other equipment and maintenance expenses that were not being met with revenue from lower property values. They continued, however, to take grants to build more park areas, sidewalks, and landscaping projects. All of those need city taxpayer funds to maintain.
The city officials said they had cut expenses whereever they could, but still needed the tax millage rate increase.
In February, the City Council sensibly voted 4-1 to extend our outsourced landscaping contract. Last Tuesday they voted to bring the majority of the city's lawn maintenance work in-house. This means they will have to hire seven more employees and buy additional equipment. They estimate the cost to be $558,430 the first year and $408,430 after that.
The City Council thinks they will save $65,000 annually. Did they include the still rising cost of fuel? Did they include workman's comp, health insurance, and pensions? Did they include these costs for 20 or more years after these workers retire? Some taxpayers will still be paying for that, long after this City Council is gone.
It is never less expensive for governments to provide these types of services. If a company doesn't meet expectations, we can hire a different company. Try firing a government employee. Let your council members know this is not a good idea for the taxpayers.
Linnie Percy
Palm Coast
Why hire seven full-time city employees for a seasonal business?
Dear Editor:
City Councilman Jason DeLorenzo is right again. He voted against expanding the installation of traffic cameras and now questions the city’s plan to hire seven people, invest in equipment and take over a seasonal business with full-time employees.
Streets Superintendent Tony Capela projects annual savings of $65,000. The council is unwilling to go out for bids. Why is that?
Pete Hull
Palm Coast
Hiring more city employees, buying more vehicles will prove costly
Dear Editor:
Local government strikes again, reaching its tentacles even further into the private sector, i.e., city landscaping. Mayor Jon Netts and City Manager Jim Landon need to take a serious look at Sandy Springs, Ga.
The city manager of Sandy Springs, John McDonough, has successfully privatized all city services except police and fire departments — Both of which, I believe, are utilizing a 401k-style pension system. Mr. McDonough has stated he is more than happy to speak with anyone who wishes to learn about his highly successful system. Mr. Landon?
Contracting anything for a four- or five-year term, as was apparently done with Fox Landscaping, almost guarantees sloth. All contracts the city enters with the private sector should be no more than two years (one year is preferable). With several private contractors bidding on these jobs frequently, the price for the work would be driven down so far it would be impossible for the city to compete. Mr. DeLorenzo is not wrong and should be applauded.
It sounds like Mayor Netts is already happy with “breaking even” and having a few extra city workers to pay/utilize in emergency situations, as well as a small fleet of new trucks and equipment.
And these geniuses wonder why they run deficits! Or they know and don’t care. Either way, it must stop. It’s not their money. It’s ours.
Stand up Palm Coast!
Timothy Hall
Palm Coast
Other counties are reducing their taxes, but not Flagler
Dear Editor:
I pay real estate taxes on two locations in Volusia County and one in Pinellas County, and one in Wood County, W.Va., and one in Washington County, Ohio — all of which proposed taxes are reduced in amount from last year.
My home and a boat slip in Flagler County both have proposed tax increases.
Repeatedly I see listed in The Observer that homes have sold for nearly half of their last selling price.
Flagler County assessment of real estate values and taxing structure needs perusal.
Who is out of touch in this situation? I think we all know!
Who suffers the brunt of this ignorance and irresponsible fiscal behavior? I think we all know!
Flagler County assessment of real estate values and taxing structure needs perusal.
Henry F. Perdue
Palm Coast
Shame on Kemper; firing of Doug Barthel not fair
Dear Editor:
I was aghast when I read the explanatory article in the Aug. 22 edition of the Palm Coast Observer regarding the firing of the director of tennis, Doug Barthel.
I think that it is absolutely reprehensible to dismiss someone based on trumped-up charges. In the Aug. 18 edition of The Observer, Jim Landon, our city manager, stated: "If it's not a good match and expectations are not being met after the employee has been coached, you have to take the necessary actions."
Who is the tennis aficionado at Kemper who could have "coached" Doug Barthel? That statement appears to be a totally trumped-up falsehood. If Doug Barthel was brought on board based upon an employment letter dated June 1 and agreed to the terms set forth, then that constitutes a bi-lateral contract. How a company with any degree of sincerity can deign to change stipulations previously stated between two parties is mind-boggling.
Our city fathers apparently condone Rich Stanfield's deplorable actions. We seem to have a revolving door at the tennis center. We now have the third director of tennis, Aaron Brown, since December 2011.
Only Kemper Sports is a constant. The company apparently controls the purse strings doled out under the aegis of our city manager. Rich Stanfield's wife, Deborah, also remains on board. Since being added to the payroll in December 2011, she offers congeniality and a smile but since she has no known expertise in tennis, it is logical to ask a question: What does she contribute to the tennis program and how does her presence bring in revenue?
Was Doug Barthel sacrificed to keep Deborah employed? As I see the picture, it is a sad commentary to have made a commitment to a man whereupon he moved his wife and 16-year-old son to relocate to Palm Coast at a great expense and then send him packing back to the Panhandle after about a month. I can only be grateful for the fact that I am retired and not reliant on our fair city for honorable actions.
Phyllis Scheffler
Palm Coast
Use vacant lots in Flagler Beach for paid parking lots
Dear Editor:
Have the Tourist Development Council and the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners officials recently driven on A1A without blinders covering their eyes? Have they ever tried parking on weekends, holidays?
Yes we do have “coast,” beaches, old motels and old structures converted into family-owned restaurants. There is no public transportation to visit neighboring cities motels, shops, restaurants and other amenities. Why not take the approach of “build it and they will come“? Why not try leasing vacant properties for paid parking? Why not offer franchised motels, hotels, restaurants and shops an offer they cannot refuse? It takes money to make money.
Flagler County and its cities are sitting on a gold mine and do not even know it. Flagler Beach had it prime time and could become the resort area you have been hoping for years.
Walter Albano
Palm Coast
School Board’s half-cent sales tax passed, unfortunately
Dear Editor:
I wrote a letter to the editor a week or so ago about how I thought the new sales tax would pass. It did! I don’t like it, but I was right.
To keep from being known as a sore loser, I want to congratulate the teachers, the teachers union and their friends on the School Board for helping to keep the U.S. ranked No. 1 in one educational category. Although U.S. students rank 27th in math in the world, with your help we shall always remain No. 1 in educational spending per pupil and in experts who say we should throw more money at the problem.
Do you reckon the $4 million per year that you will get from the tax can help move us up to 26th in math or will this money pay for another raise for the teachers?
We do deserve the schools that we have, but the students don’t.
Douglas R. Glover
Palm Coast
Swale maintenance should not depend on where the blockage came from
Dear Editor:
Poor maintenance of swales by the city, as a writer stated in a July letter to the editor, is an understatement.
I called about standing water in my swale and was informed by an inspector the problem was mine, the property owner, to correct.
He stated the rainwater from my gutters pushed the dirt down to the swale.
Does it really matter where the dirt comes from to form the blockage?
I would think the city should remove this dirt to free up the flow of rainwater. But that is common sense and we are talking about the city of Palm Coast and its officials.
Donald Farron
Palm Coast
