According to information provided to state auditors by the Board Chairman, Mr. Fred Messerle for a report Oregon’s Counties: 2012 Financial Condition Review the county may clear cut its own forest and then sell the property to pay expenses after first liquidating all cash reserves. None of this should come as a surprise because Meserle has been overheard during his campaign saying the county may have to “sell the courthouse”.
“So faced with the inability to raise local revenues until we have a better economy and the continuing decline in resources available from the state and federal level we can do the following:
1. Become as efficient as possible, but cost savings will not be enough to balance our budget2. As any entity facing insolvency, we will need to liquidate assets to pay our expenses.
First would be the drawdown of cash and liquid reserves
Second would be liquidation of the forest stumpage inventory
Third would be the sale of county owned real estate including forestland, parks, buildings, etc.
Fourth would be the return of all required responsibilities to the State of Oregon.”
Selling the forest and county parks will not, however, direct proceeds into the general fund under existing terms of ownership, so it remains to be seen why divesting these assets is even under consideration.
To our own Little Napoleon-al, my official response. See any comparison to Fred’s plan? They tell you they are so much better an “running things”, yup they are, just like this, eliminate the trees, and subdivide what’s left, that’s the plan folks, and Fred is no better than our own Napoleon Bonaparte al, scurrying about threatening poverty, all the while lining the pockets of his overcoat with YOUR money, they laugh at you because YOU aren’t as smart as they are, you haven’t figured out how to do it, YOU work for your wages and pay your taxes, they do neither.
al
November 16, 2012 – 5:00 pm
“Thank you, “Themguys”. Your comments reflect a careful assimilation of the facts and a commanding and effulgent presentation of your position. I’m sure that somewhere between “phony”, “wanker”, “thief” and “freeloader” there is a lesson with which we can all grow and learn. Have a great weekend.”
Romney’s gone, but vulture capitalism lives on. Hostess Brands, the company that makes Twinkies, Ding Dongs and other desserts, filed for court permission to go out of business —blaming a worker strike for the shutdown. The Wall Street hedge fund managers who run the company have squeezed every cent out of Hostess for eight years. And they’ve put their friends with no experience in the baking industry in high-level management positions What’s happening here is a classic Bain Capital-style assault—blame the little guy to cover the greedy corporate policies that are gutting the middle class. It’s not just happening to the workers who make the great products Americans love. What’s happening at Hostess is happening to workers all over this country. It’s wrong. And it has to stop. Crony capitalism and poor management drove Hostess into the ground, not the workers who are now paying the price. In this struggling economy, the greedy corporate executives are willing to let 18,000 people lose their jobs—just so they can pad their pockets. Hostess’ executives are now blaming workers who’ve offered their company multiple concessions and want it to succeed. This is what’s wrecking our country. Workers have borne the brunt of bad decision-making by executives who didn’t know anything about the baking business. And they’re the ones getting fired? These brave workers need to know we stand with them—and we’ll stand with everyone who will take a stand against the corporate race-to-the-bottom. Hostess workers are being scapegoated because they are standing up to corporate greed. Hostess’ executives are now blaming workers for poor decisions they made that drove Hostess into the ground.What’s happening here is a classic Wall Street tactic—blame the little guy so that they can cover their greedy corporate policies that are gutting the middle class. Sign this pledge to stand with Hostess workers and against the tide of corporate greed wrecking our economy. http://act.aflcio.org/c/18/p/dia/action3/comm…
My apologies, I meant to say ‘arse’. How uncouth of me.
You’re welcome.
It’s hard to hear the truth when someone is blowing smoke up yer ass .
Thank you, “Themguys”. Your comments reflect a careful assimilation of the facts and a commanding and effulgent presentation of your position. I’m sure that somewhere between “phony”, “wanker”, “thief” and “freeloader” there is a lesson with which we can all grow and learn. Have a great weekend.
” I said that after I learned how thinly stretched many departments are. I said that after I learned that many county employees were not submitting personal expenses for gas and travel because they knew money was tight.” al pettit
And you still petitioned and took ten thousand dollars for your own personal use?
Boy, you are really a kind, thoughtful man. I’m sure, since finding this out, you have returned the people’s money you thought you were entitled to al?
See what phonies you are al? “Tax dollars for ME, not for THEE” that’s al’s swan song isn’t it?
What wankers you guys are al, you look down your phony noses at the poor and under-educated in Coos County, you call them cave people and worse, all the while you steal from the people. You don’t need to rob a bank, you do it legally, none the same, you take from the poor for your own pleasure. What does that say about you al?
One more thing, you threatened “more than one commish” you would not, could not support raising taxes? Well with freeloaders like you al, it’s going to take increased taxes just to keep you and The Walrus fed.
No kidding TG – this guy sure has taxpayer-funded brass balls. As if anything he says to the Commissioners should have any merit. At all. One hand out for free kickbacks, the other giving Cam & Fred reach-arounds. Whose tool is he going to be when Fred loses and Cam goes back to doing whatever-the-hell Cam does for a living? Bob’s? Melissa’s? My guess is that Sweet will be the recipient of Al’s largesse starting early 2013.
Boy, for folks who claim to love The People and Democracy, neither of you believe very much in either one.
Thank you, Toland, I am more than happy to discuss the financials issues.
Yes, I have stated that I would be willing to pay more to support the county – not just the Sheriff’s office exclusively. I said that after I learned how thinly stretched many departments are. I said that after I learned that many county employees were not submitting personal expenses for gas and travel because they knew money was tight. I said that after I learned that some departments had not purchased new cars or hired backfills to save money for important things such as a drug treatment center.
HOWEVER – I have told at least two Commissioners that I could not and would not support any kind of additional tax level on any person or business until the county addressed some internal operational issues which would translate into more money for the county.
Al, turning back to the Coos County budget problems. I once heard you say you might support a tax increase to fund County Law Enforcement. Do you still feel this way?
Nothing that can be read in less than 2 minutes is rife full of anything except articles and adjectives. Anyone who keeps trying to pass that fourteen pages of drivel off as a serous report hasn’t been paying attention to all the serious reports put out by the state auditors and the legislative task force. Stop selling cow patties as modern art, Al, nobody is buying.
Toland – apologies for not making the report simple enough for all to understand. And if you think that the Administrator raises the county’s costs then, I’m sorry, but you’re simply not very well informed. And I had to chuckle at your comment about criticism. After all, I don’t recall seeing you sitting at the Structure Committee table, conducting any public presentations or participating in any debates about the topic. I also note you have enough courage to call Fred Messerle “nuts’ and both of us “incompetent fools” – but not enough courage to do it from behind your pseudonym. So please – spare me the false bravado.
Al, In response to your latest post:
1. Get a Grip! My earlier post made it very clear I was referring to the County Administrator Ballot Measure, not the Messerle/Main Commissioners Race. You lost the Administrator measure by over 16 points.
2. I have read the Structure Committee report. It is rife with BS not cost savings. Your big proposal, the County Administrator, would have increased costs while decreasing democratic accountability.
3. I have been a citizen activist in this County before you came here. From observing you in public and reading your posts on this blog I see you don’t take criticism well. As Harry Truman once said, “If you can’t take the heat, get the hell out of the kitchen”.
Toland – thank you for your observations and conclusions. However:
1. To the best of my knowledge a winner for Coos County Commissioner, Position 1, has not yet been determined. The last report that I read indicated that Messerle was 19 votes behind Main – not 16 percentage points. That would mean that Main had already won by 4,000 votes.
2. The Structure Committee report is rife with cost savings. It’s there in the report for anyone who wants to read it. But just because someone refuses to read the document or acknowedge its content doesn’t mean we “failed” at finding savings.
3. Perhaps the next time the County looks to put together some committees you will volunteer your time and join. Then you, too, can enjoy all the accolades that people like you bestow upon other people who are trying to make a difference in the community.
To Mark: Sorry to interupt this blog discussion. I would like to continue our interchange about the qualities of The World as a newspaper. My comments will be posted where we left off under the Spinmeisters blog. Jack
Not quite. The Dunes overall is getting closer now that it no longer receives enterprise zone exemptions but many other landowners are still paying much less than the rest of us in a county that is already undertaxed
It’s hard to argue that we are under taxed when the great majority of the county is taxed at the maximum amount permissible by law.
Furthermore, it’s very difficult to target taxes that will affect only those you want and leave the others alone.
Got an idea for that?
Your premise is not supported by the state’s own findings which is that Coos County only utilizes 30% of its tax capacity..
Is that from the Kulongski task force study?
It’s one thing to look at Coos County and say, “Hey, your county has an assessed value of $7.3 trillion! You’re leaving 32% of your revenues on the table.” It’s an entirely another to devise a tax that will affect only the businesses and homeowners who can afford to pay a little more and leave alone those on fixed incomes or barely making it during these tough economic times. Property taxes are pretty blind to one’s ability to pay.
It’s even tougher to get the voters to approve it. Heck, they can’t even approve a pool in progressive-minded Bandon.
The Gov’s Task Force admits as much. Essentially it says, yes that capacity exists and it would be nice to tap into it, but good luck getting it. Most who have already tried have failed miserably. Regardless, the state would like to see us try it as a first resort before moving on to more desperate measures.
The tax targeted on county overnight lodging would fit the bill. Maybe you have other ideas?
I’m not trying to be argumentative here. I just think it’s important that we recognize what the facts are before we start casting blame or proffering solutions. Otherwise, we don’t fix anything and likely just make things worse.
Here’s a fact that speaks to the heart of the problem that I keep bringing up but no one seems to want to talk about:
Since 1990 timber harvest on Oregon federal land has declined 90%. During that time harvests from private lands have remained relatively stable. Consequently an annual harvest of between 7-9 billion board feet has fallen to off to less than 4 BBF. Of that only 10% comes from federal land when it used to be over half.
As a result, rural counties in Oregon have suffered.
Al,
Responding to my earlier post you expressed a desire for logical argument. Aristotle said there are two parts to an argument, you make a statement and you prove it.
My statement – You and Fred Messerle are both incompetent fools.
My proof – as co-chair of the County Structure Committee you were charged with finding cost savings. You found none. Instead you proposed a County Administrator measure that substantially increased costs.
You then tried to con voters into adopting the Administrator Measure. You and your cronies had every advantage during the election. You outspent your opponents many times over. Your side received far more media coverage than the opposition. The World continually spouted your propaganda.
But you lost the election by over 16 percentage points. Your long campaign promoting an Administrator was spectacularly incompetent and marked by foolish rationalizations.
Regarding Commissioner Messerle – I offer two proofs out of many. First, he publicly admitted he can’t manage the county and needs an administrator to do so. Secondly, watch him at meetings – that’s really all the evidence you need.
I almost cry when I remember we once had Commissioners who could govern without and administrator. They also didn’t need business “leaders” like Al telling them what to do.
MG said: “Also, if all these people are wrong, so then is the state auditor who report Coos County’s average property tax rate as $1.09, third lowest in the state.”
The state auditor is correct. Coos County’s property tax rate IS $1.09/1000, the third lowest in the state.
However,
a property tax payer’s bill is comprised of more than just the county’s rate. Other governmental entities can add rates up to a total of $10/1000 which is the limit establish by measures 47 & 50.
Additionally, education districts can add in another $5/1000, again capped by law.
The total cannot exceed $15/1000. That maximum rate is the same for every county in Oregon regardless of how much its county government charges.
Any and all chance of an intelligent discussion has officially dissolved. Good night, all.
Hey, at least when I’m wrong I admit it.
Why should I go to the World when I can get the real numbers directly from the assessor’s office? Check it for yourself.
In 2012, Bandon Dunes Resort Properties LLC paid $296,924.19 on an assessed value of $30,710,676. That’s a rate of $9.67/1000.
Bandon Golf Courses LLC paid $252,580.79 on an assessed value of $26,460,487. That’s a rate of $9.55/1000.
Now if you use the real market value instead of the assessed value those rates change to $4.46/1000 and $2.51/1000, respectively. Or, if you combine them together, it’s a rate of $3.29/1000. That would be 0.33%
See the problem?
http://www.co.coos.or.us/Portals/0/Assessor%27s%20Office/summaryofassesstaxrollinfobook20122013.pdf
Mark, there is nothing I can do to help you.
Uh huh. So tell me: What property tax rate did Bandon Dunes pay last year?
Let’s ask Steve Jansen.
I did. He provided me with a nice print out this afternoon and depending upon the parcels in question anywhere from .80 to 1.59. The difference between that figure and the $9.10 you quoted is 4H extensions, library services, ESD, the Port of Bandon, the airport, the hospital, urban renewal and special levies.
OK. So are you saying the .80 – 1.59 is the county government share only? That sounds accurate to me.
Adding all those other districts in bumps it up to $9+, correct?
If so, that’s right. And it’s perfectly in line with what they should be legally paying.
“I also asked him what he thought our county could do to turn our economy around. You know what he said? “Nothing.” I was very disappointed at that response.” MMcKelvey says. Of course it was uncomfortable for you Mark, that’s because you can’t handle the truth, you can’t break ranks with your fellow Circle Jerkers downtown.
.” I just don’t think it’s prudent to look a gift horse in the mouth and complain because he didn’t come with a saddle.” says al pettit, the private businessman who takes welfare to spruce up his private business with Other People’s Money. And al pettit would definitely know which end of the horse to talk to.
Kay, if you think there’s nothing we can do to improve Coos County’s economy, I think we have discovered why it is we fight so much.
“And Bandon Dunes, which benefits from enterprise-zone tax breaks? An eye-popping tax rate of 0.29 percent on 3,600 seaside acres with a real market value of $179 million. – The Oregonion (It should be noted that the enterprise-zone he’s referencing is the Coquille Valley Enterprise Zone.)
We all know Bandon Dunes gets tax breaks, but that was not the point of my comment. As a taxpayer who pays a much higher percentage I’ll be the last person to complain about Bandon Dunes. Keiser took a risk with millions of his own money on a scruffy piece of land that no one else was willing to develop and that was generating nearly zero tax income. By risking his own money, thousands in the Bandon area have benefitted as did Coos County and the city of Bandon. I just don’t think it’s prudent to look a gift horse in the mouth and complain because he didn’t come with a saddle.
al, I completely agree with your point. The problem is in the Oregonian story you quote. The rate therein is calculated according to the real market value. That’s not how property taxes are calculated. They are derived from the assessed value.
Steve Duin and David Cay Johnston (and even Adam Colby!) each made the same mistake. The numbers I posted earlier are accurate for Bandon Dunes as of the last tax assessment.
Mark, neither Duin, Johnston or Colby were incorrect. Their discussion includes only the rate applied to the county (which is then further distributed). The figures you are quoting include schools, ports, airports and much more.
Also, I attributed no opinion to David Cay Johnston, I merely quoted facts from his book, only you are ascribing a position to the author (one he may not appreciate).
None of them make that distinction, Mary. They are all talking about property taxes which as you know funds much more than county government. Here’s a quote from Duin’s story in the Oregonian:
The resort, Johnston argues, should be paying four times the $519,000 in property taxes levied in 2009: “That’s money that isn’t available to fund schools, to educate children, to pay for police and libraries.”
He’s talking about the whole truckload.
The opinion I attribute to DCJohnston is one he conveyed to me when I interviewed him on my radio show. I also asked him what he thought our county could do to turn our economy around. You know what he said? “Nothing.” I was very disappointed at that response.
You have been wrong before, Mark, and I suggest you do the math using the figures quoted in the original World article. Also, if all these people are wrong, so then is the state auditor who report Coos County’s average property tax rate as $1.09, third lowest in the state.
Regarding the property tax rate paid by Bandon Dunes, al and salmonologist are both wrong, according to the county assessor’s annual report.
Last year, Bandon Dunes Resort Properties paid roughly $297K on an assessed value of about $30.7 million. That’s a rate of $9.67/1000.
Bandon Dunes Golf Courses paid roughly $252K on an assessed value of about $26.5 million. That’s a rate of $9.51/1000.
Plum Creek’s rate is $8.80/1000.
Menasha’s is $9.80/1000.
Charter’s is $14.40/1000!
That’s about right for rural landowners. That’s not the problem!
Remember, because of Measures 47 & 50 we pay property taxes on assessed value, not real market value. As Mary noted elsewhere, those rates can only go up by a maximum of 3% every year courtesy of Measure 5.
That makes for a sticky wicket when it comes to enacting property tax reform or attempting to capture untapped property tax capacity. But that is not the problem with Coos County’s revenue. Not all that long ago, The parcels Bandon Dunes occupies were empty of any development, worth next to nothing, and contributing even less to the county’s tax rolls. Bandon Dunes is an asset to the county any way you slice it. (Excuse the pun.)
The problem is — and always has been — the disappearance of timber money since 1995. In just the last five years, the county’s general fund has lost 20% of its resources — $5 million dollars. We need to figure out how to replace that money.
We’ve had this problem much longer than we’ve had Bandon Dunes.
We have had this problem because the same people keep their heads in the sand looking for federal timber handouts, not a sound nor sustainable fiscal plan. The Feds own less than 25% of Coos County, a fact even Fred had to admit to the public. We stand to make more from the private landowners I mentioned, if we didn’t have folks like you standing in the way.
Time to move to more progressive policies that are good for everyone, not just a few large landowners. Watch the “Dust Bowl” on PBS this week and see what your backwards logging practices will bring us.
I say Keep Oregon Green. Those of you who want to strip us of our natural resources can move to Kansas and enjoy the dirt.
How are you proposing to “make more from private landowners”? I’m not making up those rates I posted. Those are real. Ask Steve Jansen.
Remember, whatever you do to large private landowners, you also do to rural residents living on fixed incomes. You think they should or can pay more?
I’m not standing in your way. You are just failing to grasp the reality of Oregon law.
And it’s ridiculous to suggest we cannot sustainably harvest timber from our pubic lands in a way that also protects our environment. Your choice of Dust Bowl or Old Growth Forest is a false one.
To be clear, I am not advocating for more federal timber handouts. I’m arguing for sound, sensible, sustainable logging on our locked up public lands.
Thank you for correcting me, Susan. I apologize for using the British form of behooves. Likewise, I sometimes mis-spell theater as theatre, center as centre and color as colour. A nasty habit derived from working overseas. (P.S. – since we’re on the topic, you should capitalize every word at the beginning of a sentence.)
I now stand corrected: BD caddies do not work for BD. They are, instead, independent contractors who work for….themselves?? We’ll also call your tax rate correct in spite of what The Oregonian says. And we’ll also agree that Keiser doesn’t pay those room taxes, even though those taxes could not be collected without the existence of the physical room, or the golf course that attracts the occupiers of those rooms. In other words – no BD, no tax revenue, no caddies, staff, or tax revenue. But let’s not confuse ourselves with too many facts.
I’m not sure who Susan is, al, I am a separate entity from everyone on these boards. We do not all follow your example here and on other boards of using several different monikers and pretending to support all of your own weak arguments. You know who I am, and in fact I smiled at you last week and you smiled back. Clueless.
And what are you getting for all of this bs about the Dunes? Are you a golfer or someone who is begging to be allowed to play with the big boys?
Al – it’s ‘cry foul” and “behooves” – when you try to dress someone down it’s better if you don’t write like an 8th-grade student.
And no, the Dunes has approx. 300 actual employees (not including independently contracted caddies), and they make barely above minimum wage. People that have worked there for over 5 years are still in the $11-15 per hour range, disgustingly low for folks in their 50’s who work hard for Keiser. What is the problem with making him pay .50%? or 1.0%? The rest of us pay 1.41-2.0%, why does he get a break, because he is a minimum-wage “job creator”?
And it is the people who stay there that pay lodging taxes, not a cent of that comes from Keiser. And it is .21%. Quit trying to distract with your lies, you are sadly misinformed. And Keiser gets breaks from all sorts of other taxes/regulations while we subsidize his golf courses, from the airport to waste handling.
And I notice that you do not address any of the other landowners I mention, is that because you agree with me?
Al, it is people like you that have made this county the rectum of the state with your unending support of failed policies. As the purveyor of luxury, non-essential products, what you say has really no effect nor import. please stick to your Chamber luncheons and circle jerks, it’s the only thing you are good at.
It’s .29 Salmon – not .21.
Bear in mind that Bandon Dunes employs approx. 400 people who pay income tax and many of them receive healthcare and retirement benefits that BD pays for. And we should also remember that before Bandon Dunes, that useless property generated nearly no property tax at all – and Bandon was a struggling seaside town like the rest of us. Oh – and let’s not forget the 7% local lodging tax and the 1% state lodging tax they pay, plus that little tax designed just for businesses that I call a recuring sales tax on all assets such as printers, computers, golf carts, etc. And let’s not forget what Bandon Dunes has done for local property owner’s home and property valuation, not to mention the world-wide attention it has brought to the southern Oregon coast. And would Bandon Crossings have been developed – and thrived – without Bandon Dunes? And would the City of Bandon be in the shape it is without Bandon Dunes? And how about all that money those golfers spend in the area?
Looking at this situation in a bubble lends all kinds of opportunity to cry fowl, but just like the County, it behoves one to grasp the big picture before placing too many stakes in the ground. Instead of being grateful for what BD has done for the local communities, you choose to criticize them for not doing more.
Read “Free Lunch”, Al, and learn about the four subsidies the Dunes receives that exceed the total payroll, one equal to $12 million annually. Then do some math and look at unemployment rates in Bandon and Coos County since the Dunes’ inception to today and then talk to the assessor before spouting about property taxes past and present.
David Cay Johnston does not say these subsidies have not benefited Coos County. Quite the opposite. He agrees that expanding the airport and building Bandon Dunes has been of great benefit to our regional economy.
His argument against it is that he doesn’t believe US federal dollars should be used to do it.
Personally, I think anytime the US government wants to build infrastructure in Coos County, our appropriate response should be, “Thank you.”
Love the dittoheads parroting the same old crap – want a better idea? How about making the largest landowners in the county – Bandon Dunes, Menasha, Plum Creek, Verizon, Charter, Sause and the ag ranchers themselves (Fred) – pay what the rest of us pay in property taxes? We wouldn’t have to cut down the forests, whore ourselves to a broke mining company or foreign gas company, we could pay our bills and no services would have to be cut. There is one common thread in most of the counties MarkM mentioned, they (and we) do not levy enough taxes on the large landowners, god forbid we make the Dunes pay more than .21% on the $187 million dollars worth of property he holds in the county. Fred and his neighbors are also some of the biggest suckers of the gov’t teat (check USDA site). Whenever someone cries “We are not business friendly! Businesses won’t come here!”, you know they are a fool, we have the 3rd lowest tax rates in the state and I don’t see businesses knocking down our doors right now. Let the big guys who make all the money from the land pay their fair share.
Time to balance the scales. Time for new blood. Fred, Jon, Cam, John, Al et al. need to be put to rest like the tired old dogs that they are.
Thank you, Susan – you just validated my comments.
Al citing Wikipedia and not a dictionary as fact for definitions? Al, in this case I would be citing the “Peter Principal” (defined also at Wikipedia). Susan did not call Messy stupid, Read the statement again. It was you who wanted us to be believe that Messy would not make such stupid statements. The state had no hesitation confirming you to be wrong – again. Al, while in your white shoes and white belt saving Apple (prior to 1984 when Apple was searching for the right CEO) did you not meet many prospective customers who were executives, great fathers, husbands, and friends and still brain dead?
Toland – By calling Fred “nuts” you obviously consider yourself to be a qualified arm-chair psychologist. By calling him arrogant it seems that you consider yourself to be quite humble. And by calling him an “ignorant buffoon” – or “stupid” as Susan claims – we should conclude that you are an intellectually superior socialite. And we should also conclude that you not only know Fred Messerle on a very personal level as a husband, father and friend, but you’re also intimately familiar with the challenges and pressure that comes with keeping the County’s services intact and those employees employed. I have no doubt those challenges keep you awake at night – in spite of the fact that you’re probably sitting in the last row of the outfield.
Wikipedia says the following about name-calling: “…a substitute for rational, fact-based arguments against an idea or belief.” And since you failed to make any reference whatsoever to the County’s financial statements which contains irrefutable data that the County is in an increasingly tough financial situation, it stands to reason that you responded in the only manner in which an uninformed person can respond: name-calling.
And you know what they say about people who “assume”
Al, care to share with us just “HOW” intimate your relationship with Fred is?
Who’s tossing who’s salad here?
LOL, good one Pig. Very apt.
Few options are available. One thing that interests me is the statements by the State and Counties that personnel is always the biggest expense and one of the first things to be cut. Services and personnel were drastically cut in Coos County several years ago. Has anybody experienced a drop in taxation? If such high dollar items have been cut where’s the savings?
Our taxes increase by 3% annually so I am never impressed when a commissioner tells me we have half the staff and services are reduced
Our taxes do not increase 3% annually.
Our property assessments are capped at a 3% annual increase. And that’s only if an appraisal indicates an increase. It may not change at all, or it may increase less than 3%.
Property tax collections do generally increase each year. They didn’t go up much in 2009 or 2010 due to the real estate market crash. Last year, all county tax dollars increased by 0.99%. Remember the County only gets 12% of that amount. The County’s share increased by only 0.98% over the previous year.
Bear in mind that inflation is running about 1.5-2% and there goes your increase.
“HB 4176 allows for the establishment of a fiscal assistance board with the power to, among other things, reallocate funds, cut services, lay off employees, reduce expenditures,
sell or lease real or personal county property,
issue bonds, and renegotiate debt repayment.”
Like it or not, that’s the law. Unless we find some money on our own.
Hey, Look what Klamath is doing:
“The county has also worked to stimulate its local economy through a number of job creating economic development projects, including: 1) Swan Lake Hydroelectric Project; 2) Klamath Biomass Project; and 3) Sanford Pediatric Clinic.”
That could be us.
I’m not here to defend Fred Messerle, but I think the majority opinion on this blog grossly underestimates the severity of Coos County’s budget problem. Want proof? Just look at what the seven other counties in the SOS report are considering:
Curry: Privatized Home Health and Hospice. Transfer its Developmental Disabilities Program to the State of Oregon. Privatize Health and Human Services Department.
Douglas: Eliminate 24 positions. Re-negotiate new collective bargaining agreements with unions.
Jackson: Outsource library operations. Establish a self-insurance health plan for managers. Close libraries or raise fees.
Josephine: Required county programs be self-sustaining through fees, grants, state contracts, and other revenue sources, not property taxes. Recent local levy failed.
Klamath: Transfer money from the Road Fund to the General Fund. Stimulate the economy.
Lane: Reduce expenses and increase other revenues.
Polk: Cut 10% of its General Fund workforce, restructure multiple programs, reduce services to the general public, and reduce contingency funds.
All of them mention the devastating loss of timber payment money and importance of a new Congressional Forest Plan. That’s precisely the issue.
If things keep going the way they are going, Coos County may not have other options than selling off assets. That’s just honest. It’s not as if “they” are making this problem up. It is very, very real.
We need our public forests to start working again. And we need to develop a diversified economy to augment it. Simple as that.
How do we do it?
Unless someone else has a better idea.
Messerle is nuts! He’s forgetting the fact that many, many times the County Foreests have been the only reliable revenue. People need to show up, write or otherwise communicate to this arrogant non-elected ignorant buffoon that he does not know what he is talking about. Since he was for a monthly salary of $1,000 starting in 2015 of course I believe he should offer to donate any $ he makes back to the County to provide services that are not provided elsewhere.
What was wrong with the folks that tried the election for him. Do they think he is going enrich his siupporters?
I certainly hope Main defeated him. I wonder if the Elections department will ever get finished with counting the ballots. Why is it taking so long?
This is exactly what “Al”, friend of Messy, told us recently that could not be. He tried to lead us to believe that Messy was too new to the job to be this stupid. Must have been somebody else who suggested selling the county. Al, Messy proved you to be wrong.