Mayor proposes unconventional idea to help San Leandro’s budget woes
By Martin Ricard
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pm in General, Politics, San Leandro.
It seems as though many city governments are going to have to get really creative next year to manage their budgets in the wake of these slow economic times.
At last night’s San Leandro City Council work session on the budget for next fiscal year, Mayor Tony Santos proposed an unconventional idea of his own to address the city’s projected budget deficit.
He suggested the city charge a fee on its fire insurance policy, saying he was once given the title as one of the country’s six experts on this matter (he used to work in the insurance industry in his heyday). This idea also accompanied his suggestion for a public safety tax if the economy doesn’t return to normal in the next two years or so, as well as making use of the council’s authority to implement the city’s charter.
“If we had some public safety tax, an insurance policy fee in fire insurance, and also if we implemented the charter provision at least on health benefits — if we could get $2 million from each, that would give us at least $6 million,” he said. “That would go a long way in managing the budget situation a little better.”
Read the full budget presentation given to the council here.
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May 13th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Someone ought suggest to Mayor Santos that he and his City Manager take a long hard look at the Alameda County Assessors plans to re-evaluate the ‘ad valorem’ assessment upon which real estate taxes are computed.
Not too long ago the Daily Review passed on an opinion piece which addressed the gfact that ‘foreclosures’ in and of themselves are not acceptable transaction for use as ‘comparables’ when reducing assessmemnts. The Assessor started that process in May and estimated tthat $20,000,000. in tax revenur would be lost as result of declining values wrought by ‘auctions’.
Any property transfer involving a forclosure is not axxeptable in use aa a ‘comparable’ inthe appraisal process for the reason that the transaction, p[articularly those involving ‘auctions’ finds the lender acting under duress. Presence of ‘Duress’ is objectionable per rules laid down by Appraisal Institute.
Will mail copy of that Opinion Piece together with some other material which ought to prompt San Leandro City Hall to make a case against re-evaluation of ‘ad valorem’ determination of factor used in ‘write down’ by assessor.