Opinion: South Tahoe making mistake giving money to LTUSD
To the community,
It appears that on May 17, the city manager of South Lake Tahoe will advise the City Council to donate $250,000 of city reserve funds to the school district for upgrading the football field at South Tahoe High School. It is a mistake to do so.
The city manger came to town claiming that he would manage the city as a business. I know of no business model that gives money away. It seems that the city manager has forgotten that he, as does the council, has a fiduciary trust to honor. The city manager says this gift to the school district will create a partnership with the district. I say, well, to achieve what? The school district should run the district and the city should run the city. They should cooperate, but there should be no free exchange of tax dollars. In this deal what is the direct benefit to the city?
Bill Crawford
It is especially ill advised to give away the $250,000 under the circumstances. The city is hurting for revenue. The city manager and council have for economic reasons trimmed crew and staff reducing the number of city employees. The city has large unfunded liabilities. The city can’t fix the streets. But it will take reserve money for the school district.
And if citizens will look at their property tax bill, they will see three items that render money to the school district. So why should the city even think of giving money to another agency?
This is an example of undisciplined behavior by the city manager because this gift has nothing to do with meeting the needs of the city. He should receive a vote of no confidence on this subject. It is bad politics.
Bill Crawford, South Lake Tahoe
Bill Crawford is right and people better wake up. If you include unfunded liabilities like retirement and benefits, the city is already bankrupt. That’s a fact that cannot be refuted, yet everyone in the city council is in deep denial. It’s time for a forensic audit and honest recognition that the city is already bankrupt. Raising taxes is not the answer either. Giving this city council more tax revenue would be like giving teenagers a bottle of gin and the keys to your car.
Agreed Mr. Crawford. Tony has trimmed and cut front line service workers to the bone and the public is beginning to feel and see the effects. To give money to LTUSD so he can feel like the ‘big man’ on campus is an insult to the workers, businesses and citizens of South Lake Tahoe.
At a time when the City Mgr. is trying to take away the Retirees medical benefits so that he can give $250,000 to the school dist. This is a shame, he has vowed to take retiree benefits from people that have given up raises in the past so that they could have these benefits. Many of the retirees are all over 65 and on Medicare and of very little cost to the City if any.
Many of the retirees have Pre-existing conditions and would be unable to purchase secondary Insurance, is it fair to punish the retirees For the failure of the City Council to properly handle the City finances ???
The City may fine themselves with a Class Action Law Suit !!!
The school district already receives more than its fair share of the tax revenue pie. Special gifts of city funds are unwarranted and should instead be used to fix and maintain streets and other basic services.
Maybe the football team can do its own improvments on the field as a senior project or something.
Mr. Crawford was a valuable asset when he was on the city council. The only one who really looked out for the citizens’ money. I hope he keeps writing.
Bad move Tony!
How about the unfunded sick, vacation, and personel leave time thats not only unfunded it’s not in the budget like Sarbanes Oxley, (fed. law) says it must be.
Yeah, screw the kids and their wanting to get outside. Keep ’em in class, so they can learn poetry. Crawford is a grumpy old man, who didn’t agree to anything when he was on the council. Except for a giant hole in the ground at Stateline. Hypocrite.
Sorry, but do you really think there are no opportunities for kids to get outside in Lake Tahoe?
Guys like Bill and Kubby are great doing what they do. Writing letters, raising issues, providing a different prspective, etc. I hope they stay on the sidelines though. Both are too devisive to be in public office.
I agree with Crawford. Giving city money away to the school district is not fiscally responsible. The school district has squandered its money in the past and the projects it deems pertinent now will just have to wait. The city manager is winning no points with the tax payers.
More money to the high school? Didn’t we just buy them 6 new tennis courts (which are now locked up from public use) and 2 gorgeous new buildings? We must be made of money! Oh wait, then why are the only tennis courts actually available to the public in complete shambles? Duct-taped nets and cracks the size of vole runs, a lawsuit waiting to happen and still our tax paying citizens standing in line to try to play tennis. Hey, but let’s put all the money we have left into another project at the high school! Sounds like blind leadership to me.
Apparently Mayor Hal and his retread found a slush fund! Time to cut taxes.
Just a few questions:
Is this money from a certain fund that can only be used for these kind of projets? Is this maybe an investment into our kids and their facilities that can lead to clinics, camps, and tournaments that will generate rooms, meals and revenue for a city that the 2nd biggest bike race in the world is not going to produce? Is it possible that our kids deserve to train and play at facilities similar to those of the schools we compete against? Is it hard to believe that a school of 1100 kids will increase the pride they feel about their school and campus and maybe increase their results?
Was it legal? We don’t want ANOTHER messy Grand Jury list to have to clean up….how is that list coming by the way?
A different slant from the fiscal one.
In a perfect world we would have new track facilities and football lights, and field too, but in a perfect world we’d also take care of the public trust to build such amenities.
The beautiful track facility is already showing wear, and why?
Snow is dumped on it’s surrounding fences and they are bent and broken by our own policies, winter blight and dirt is not swept away at it’s community entrance where dirt is drug in daily to a state of the art track.
Middle school trash is everywhere on and around the field. The lane closures are never enforced or used so the first lane is being rapidly eroded, thousands of dollars jumping and vaulting pits are used as play toys because the facility isn’t even secure. I can go on.
My point we don’t take care of what we have and we’re asking for more. Yes it’s for the kids, it’s worth it we say, and I say we need to take better care of the public’s trust with what we’ve already built. We do that I’ll raise the quarter of a million for the new field.
I agree. The City has no business funding LTUSD projects when it can not even maintain its own infrastructure! We already pay 3 assessments for LTUSD projects on our property taxes. Love the kids, but please provide basic services to your residents first!
The LTUSD receives money from the Redevelopment Agency/City that is restricted to infrastructure use only. If the City cannot afford to keep employees, how can it be so generous now?
As a past teacher of the district and community member I agree with Mr Crawford ( first time too Bill!). I am a supporter of the bonds but the city and schools are entirely separate. This should not happen. Thank you Bill for the information.
I miss the Kathy Lovell,Crawford, knock down, drag outs, at the city council meeting,don’t you?
I use lmao!
This is so obviously wrong, and probably illegal. If the city has an extra $250K, they shouldn’t have laid off the employees that provide services. It just gets worse and worse. Thanks for your opinion piece, Mr. Crawford.
Talk about “reacting” without “research”. Ugh! I have to admit that I missed a couple of days on LTN and it’s information. Thank you my friend for referring me to the story covered on May 6….https://www.laketahoenews.net/2011/05/recreation-measure-language-massaged-to-appeal-to-voters.
I was sooooo wrong. I promise not to react without digging up information in the future. Do yourselves a favor and reread this story. My bad! This is NOT for additional funds. It’s redefining the money we have already said yes to and better provides for our community and our economy. Providing venues to be used by our town and drawing from the outside should be the goal of Lake Tahoe. Amgen is an example of this.
Do any of you know the facts and what is really going on? Obviously there are opportunities for kids to get outside, but I was talking about during/immediately after school. That field is a joke and represents our town. But then again I am talking to people who like the town looking like a dilapidated run down dump. What about when Mr. Bill wanted to give money for the Middle School track? Hypocrisy reigns.
I hope Bill’s advice is heeded. As senior citizens we have never voted against a bond or tax increase to help the schools, but to give away city money is just irresponsible. Take care of the City, which is your job. you’d think the Council had found a big slush fund and were flush with money!
well,well…another new spirited newcomer into the throngs of the city of so. lake tahoe city manager position. Tell me..How many years have you stayed in one job to look forward to a retirement from the city you loved and was proud and honored to work for ?? Let me tell you something, sir….The Majority of the retirees from the City Of South Lake Tahoe gave up merit pay and step raises every time the City cried boo-hoo because they happened to like the job and it showed through the hard work and workable negoiations every year from all the departments !!Our retiree benefits were earned !!When you give up raises, that effects your income to PERS which effects your retirement pay..so it was done so us retirees could have these benefits !!When your over 65 the city medical becomes secondary and medicare picks up the majority anyway!!
so…. those nice donations your handing over so you and the school district can be buddies is coming off the backs of the very people that gave ALL !!Who else is standing in line for the hand outs ?? Is there any question… that the City may find themselves with a class action law suit!! Hey, “X LOCAL” lets get the ball rollin !!