Guest Opinion by Tony Hess
I am corresponding to all of you to urge you not to sign the city council recall petition being circulated by Hubert Smith. This action is a slur upon the city and citizens of Jacksonville, and is a terrible thing to do at the outset of our 150th anniversary. The reasons given for the recall are petty and entirely without fact or founding. A recall should only be considered when there is clear evidence of malfeasance of office, none of which has occurred or any evidence of such has been presented.
According to an article in the Mail Tribune, Mr. Smith states that the reason for the recall is that the citizens “voted down an increased fire surcharge.” This is a totally false and misleading statement. The voters voted down a combination of a tax levy combined with a fixed in-place surcharge. Prior to the May vote, the city council had stated many times that if the voters rejected this method of financing a fire department (which was the minimum for adequate fire protection,) then the council would have no recourse but to increase the surcharge to provide the fire protection needed by everyone in town, including Mr. Smith. Additionally, the proposal that was rejected by the voters was to bring in enough revenue to fund a full-time eight man fire department. The council voted to raise the surcharge just enough (from $20 to $31) to cover a six man department and to maintain critical reserves. The council action actually is less costly to the citizens than the voter- rejected proposal.
I was a two-year member of the Economics Committee that developed, along with city staff, an accurate five- year projection of the funds needed for a fire department that would provide the protection needed. The analysis not only included funds for operations, but calculated the revenue flow that would maintain a minimum reserve of $100,000 for emergencies. This amount was considered the minimum to cover any unexpected large expense or to cover the costs of a major fire in Jacksonville, and also to finish paying off the new fire engine which had not yet been purchased when the surcharge was originally started. This computer model clearly showed that the surcharge would need to be $31.00 per month, or a similar amount of money to be raised by a tax levy. What part of fire protection does Mr. Smith not understand? If the citizens do not want to pay for fire protection by the surcharge, then the only other choice is to pass a tax levy. Fire departments cost money in any city, and the cost to Jacksonville’s citizens is the lowest compared to neighboring towns.
Once again, the city council acted responsibly and in the only way possible to provide fire protection. Do not give any credence to Smith’s action by signing his recall petition or voting for any sort of recall action. At one time or another, many of us have disagreed with some city council decision or another, but we elected these officials and they have done nothing close to meriting a recall. Everyone in this community, including the city council, should take a deep breath and a step back, and act with respect and consideration for other people’s opinions, and take stands on facts and not resort to falsely-based actions to further their opinions or causes.
Please speak to your friends and neighbors, and encourage them also to reject this attack on Jacksonville’s reputation and public safety department.