Bay City, Michigan 48706
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www.mybaycity.com March 18, 2007
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Brunner, Wooley Said Considering Race for Mayor; Finances the Issue

State, City Budget Woes Challenge Leaders; State Hearing Set Here Thursday

March 18, 2007       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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City Commissioners Charlie Brunner and Mike Wooley are said to be considering throwing their hats in the ring to replace Mayor Mike Buda.

The City Primary Election is slated Aug. 7 and the General Election is Nov. 6.

Chances are the prospective candidates, should they run, will take opposite sides on budget-cutting issues, according to political observers.

The city faces high property taxes that are a detriment to growth as well as budget deficits that have everyone baffled.

Police, fire, bridgetenders, parks workers -- all provide services that residents need and want but all are said to be on the table since the lion's share of costs is in personnel.

About 60 percent of city spending is in the area of public safety, i.e., police and fire services. There are 56 firefighters and 76 police (67 sworn officers).

Recent city presentations to the community noted that last year there was one murder and 753 larcenies not from vehicles. Police handled 35,000 calls in 2001, 29,470 last year; estimated cost is $229 per call. There were 3,620 fire calls last year, about 60 percent of them involving emergency medical assistance. Police activity ranks Bay City sixth of 18 similar communities while fire calls rank the city first among 18, according to City Manager Robert V. Belleman.



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Mayor Buda recently vetoed a plan that allegedly would have saved about $200,000 by privatizing bridge operations and the commission fell one vote short of over-riding the veto.

No study of the issue has been released and some residents indicate they need more detailed information before a judgment can be made on this question. Emotions seem to have overwhelmed reason in this case.

The old bugaboo of a city income tax has raised its head and could provide much needed new revenues but appears to have little support.

Fears are that any new city taxes will throw cold water on development efforts.

With population of 36,817 and total expenditures of $21,032,868, or $571 per capita in 2006, Bay City is ranked 12th among 18 cities of similar size. Midland, population 41,685, is first in spending at $39,776,172, or $953 per capita.

Other similar cities, their populations, total expenditures and per capita expenditures are: (2) Madison Heights, population 31,101, spending $27,381,437 or $880 per capita; (3) Allen Park, population 29,376, spending $24,188,303 or $823 per capita; (4) Southgate, population 30,136, expenditures $20,760,067 or $688 per capita; (5) Port Huron, population 32,338, spending $21,636,239 or $669 per capita;

(6) Jackson, population 36,316, expenditures $23,280,689 or $641 per capita; (7) Lincoln Park, population 40,008, spending $24,211,536 or $605 per capita; (8) Wyandotte, population 28,006, spending $16,901,884 or $603 per capita; (9) Garden City, population 30,047, expenditures $17,566,409 or $584 per capita; (10) Muskegon, population 40,105, spending $23,388,020 or $583 per capita;

(11) Holland, population 35,048, expenditures $19,083,362 or $544 per capita; (12) Bay City (figures listed above); (13) Oak Park, population 32,399, spending $16,552,101 or $510 per capita; (14) Eastpointe, population 34,077, expenditures $17,023,050 or $499 per capita; (15) Portage, population 44,897, spending $21,888,730 or $487 per capita;

(16) Mount Pleasant, population 25,946, spending $10,544,748 or $406 per capita; (17) Burton, population 30,308, expenditures $6,683,287 or $220 per capita; (18) Inkster, population 30,115 (no figures available).

Fire stations are again in the target and a consulting firm has been hired to report on possible ramifications of closing of stations that has been proposed.

The city also is trying to come up with a contingency plan in case it loses the largest taxpayer and a major employer, General Motors. Uncertainty in the global automotive market leaves city officials scratching their heads.

GM has been an important part of the community's economy for about 90 years and the PowerTrain facility is reported down to about 900 jobs, hourly and salary.

Meanwhile, the State Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing Thursday, March 22, at 1 p.m. at the Malcolm Field Theater at Saginaw Valley State University.

The bigger picture is an estimated $2 million state budget shortfall, caused by a shrinking manufacturing base because of globalization of the auto industry. No easy answer appears in sight as partisan politics has caused a face-off on a host of knotty issues.

The state budget is important to the city because of the steady reduction in state revenue sharing that has reduced city funding.

"There has been a 50 percent reduction in state revenue sharing," said the city manager. "Each year we are at the whim of the state legislature and governor when trying to balance the budget."

Focus of the meeting will be the governor's budget including the " 2 penny plan" to tax services, according to Sen. Nancy Cassis, Novi Republican, finance committee chair.

County Executive Thomas L. Hickner will be among officials testifying at the hearing.

Hickner and other witnesses will consider Governor Jennifer Granholm's fundamental strategies to deal with the budget: 1) further reductions in spending; 2) re-engineering government; and 3) revenue enhancements.

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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