Scottville's Loss, Scottville's Gain

[XLFD]

A recent article in the Mason County Press without a by-line (written presumably by its editor in chief, Rob Alway) shows a typical media bias that happens quite often in the City of Ludington Daily News (COLDNews).  Alway's long-term employment by the COLDNews and/or his current membership on the Scottville Planning Commission may be responsible for this loss of perspective.  See whether you can spot it in the following article.  I have highlighted the relevant parts by boldface and italics type.

Personal property tax reductions mean loss for Scottville

January 5, 2013

SCOTTVILLE – Recent changes in personal property tax laws will mean an anticipated loss of $6,700 for Scottville, starting in 2014. Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed the Personal Property Tax Elimination bill which means businesses with a taxable value of less than $40,000 will be exempt from paying personal property taxes.

The bill also means personal property tax for manufacturing will be phased out beginning in 2016 and all personal property taxes will be eliminated by 2023.

“There are provisions in the law to reimburse local communities based on essential services like police, ambulance, fire,” City Manager Amy Williams stated in her notes pre-city commission meeting report. “However, there are still no hard facts around exactly what this means. There is a part of the legislation that states units whose exempt personal property taxable value is less than 2.5% will not be reimbursed. At this time if the calculations we have are correct our taxable value percentage is 1.63% meaning we would not be eligible for reimbursement on essential services.

“It is my understanding that the $6,700 loss starting in 2014 is not eligible for reimbursement anyway; it is the larger amounts starting in 2016 that would be eligible for reimbursement if you meet the criteria. For Scottville the larger phase out amount would be a loss of $25,665 over the period of time and we likely won’t be eligible for reimbursement unless changes are made to the law.”

The Michigan Municipal League is still working on the issue with the governor’s office, Williams said. “So there is still time for changes to be made, but we will need to wait and see.”

The Scottville city commission will hold its first meeting of 2013 on Monday, Jan. 7 at 5:30 p.m.

At that time, the commission is expected to appoint two new members of the planning commission. Jonathon Hill and Scott Gordon, both residents of Reinberg Avenue, have applied to be on the planning commission. If they are appointed by the city commission, the planning commission will still be one member short. The remaining vacancy can be filled by a non-resident. Anyone interested in the appointment should contact Williams at city hall: 231-757-4729, 105 N. Main St. or  [e-mail].

http://www.masoncountypress.com/2013/01/05/personal-property-tax-re...

I am half-suspicious that Rob has created one of the openings on the Planning Commission to devote more time to his journalistic and familial pursuits.  If he hasn't, he may just have to deal with me, as I have sent a letter of interest for that last spot on the commission.  But, did you happen to notice the problem with perspective/bias, that I alluded to earlier, that comes out in the article?

In the headline, tax reductions are called a 'loss' for Scottville, and it continues throughout the article as a $6700 loss for Scottville in 2014, and the larger $25,665 loss in 2016 and beyond.  But there is no money lost here, in fact it's in reality a net gain for Scottville.  That $6700 in 2014 comes from small businesses in Scottville, the $25,665 in 2016 comes from larger businesses in Scottville.  The money remains in Scottville with no loss or gain; however, instead of being in the City Hall Clerk/Treasurer's pocketbook, it is in the wallets of some of Scottville's business owners who qualify.  The money required to collect those taxes from those businesses will no longer apply, meaning a positive monetary result is achieved for Scottville!

Speaking of losses:  The City of Scottville, in the name of economic development, has no problem paying a Scottville Main Street Manager somewhere around $50,000 in wages and benefits each year and no problem paying Ludington's Community Development Director $15,000 a year to help in grant-writing procedures (which they have wisely decided not to renew for this year)-- but the City Government has a major problem when small businesses are granted a relatively small tax reduction (which should spur real economic development as that money is likely reinvested into their business and the local economy more effectively than bureaucrats begging for state-granted corporate welfare). 

 

This should be great news for Scottville citizens and businessmen, who are in the most taxed jurisdiction in the county, and should be reported that way, at least editorially. 

[Willy]

I guess I don't understand what you mean by Rob "created" one of the openings unless you think he will be or has given up his board membership. Also you are correct about the money not being a loss to the community, although it is a loss of revenue for the City. I think Rob should have rephrased his article to read "tax revenue loss to the City". I don't think his article reflects any kind of media bias. I think his choice of words in my opinion it's just a matter of semantics. I have never liked the personal property tax. It is and has been a drain on business and a deterrent to expansion. Another thing. Why in the World would a city want a non citizen on the Planning Board. I can see a non citizen as an adviser or expert in terms of being a consultant but to have a non resident as a member of the board makes no sense.

[XLFD]

The link to the Scottville Planning Commission shows only one vacancy and the PC for 2012, which means two of the six members resigned.  At the end of 2011, Rob was sitting comfortable as a veteran reporter/photographer at the COLDNews without any kids.  He now is running his own news organization and has a couple of kids on the way.  Serving on the PC takes a lot of extra time he no longer has, and resigning from his public office allows him to comment on things he may not have been able to before.  Therefore, I think he may have been one of the resigners, but I can not ascertain that just yet.

I am sure Jane is likely right about how the news was fed to him, and then accepting it at face value.  My own bias has me looking at the tax reduction to the Scottville businesses as positive because I find all tax cuts as positive, but it would probably be best observed as revenue neutral to the city.

In a small City like Scottville, up to 3 members of the local Planning Commission may be non-residents of the City of Scottville, as per MCL 125. 3815 sec. 4.  I had lived in Scottville for over 20 years and went to school there for every grade except for Kindergarten, so I do have some interest in getting Scottville back on track.

[Jane]

Semantics or Perspective? or repeating what he was told without putting any thought into the article? That is my opinion, an article on autopilot without critical thinking.

[Willy]

Everything written is open to interpretation. One persons pen is another's sword. I see nothing in his article that shows bias while others may see it another way. He relayed the facts without installing his own opinions. Just what a reporter  should do.

[Sean]

XLFD, you always ALWAYS complain about City and County possessions and their pay.  Should we have a base pay of every employee at like 20k to make you happy??  Or maybe lower so you feel better about yourself?  You have County Police officers making 38-52k a year, but you complain about them and their benefits.  You have Scottville's city manager make 50k a year, but in your eyes that's ridiculous.  I feel a lot of your opinions are really based on....jealousy,

[XLFD]

Sean,

Read the article a little better.  Scottville's Main Street Manager, not City Manager, makes around $50,000 a year.  On page 41 of this latest budget, the Scottville City Manager, gets $71,865 per year plus benefits.  If you have a Ludington level of benefits, at 53%, then the citizens of Scottville pay $109,953 for that office. 

I believe the citizens of Scottville would be better served with an extra $160,000 in their collective pocketbooks than by having these two effectively-useless-in-a-free-market-democracy appointees on the payroll and Mayor Joe Baxter at the driver's seat.  Er, some other citizen in the driver's seat.  Even though I think Amy and Heather Landis are both competent individuals.  In my opinion, Scottville is too small to have a City Manager, DDA, and Main Street Program, it overloads and degrades the system, and keeps the tax rate up at a prohibitive level for any real progress.

And that's what I'd bring to the Planning Commission's table.  Oh, before I forget, here's an article from the Tuesday 1-8-2013 COLDNews that announces I have a shot at that final PC spot, and that Rob Alway has not resigned, but is currently at the tip top of that agency.  What a hoot it would be to have us both on the Planning Commission.

[Willy]

I agree, Scottville is to small to require a City Manager and to pay one $71,000 per year is outrageous. Plus a main street manager at $50,000 makes no sense at all. But I guess when your mayor can't stay sober and can't stay out of ditches then anything is possible. I haven't heard about the Mayor lateley. Has he resigned? I wonder if Scottville's residents are paying attention to any of this because they seem to be like most of Ludingtons citizenry. Indifferent.

[XLFD]

If you noticed in the COLDNews article, Baxter was still serving as mayor, reelected just before the news was definitive that he was driving legally drunk according to the blood draw.  I have heard no one in Scottville officially come out and decry that he drove drunk around Scottville when kids were going to school.  I guess Scottvillians are staggering from years of political drunkards calling the shots, and putting everyone in the muck at the bottom of the ravine.

[XLFD]

I have been notified that the $71,000 figure for the City Manager office includes the benefits package and other miscellaneous expenses of the City Manager, who also handles the Treasurer's duties.  The breakdown of the Main Street Mgr. (and that program) is as follows:

Salary                    $30,000

Retirement         $3,000

Health Ins            $4,200

Disability              $285

                                $37,485 Wages & benefits

 

FICA                       $2,372

Workers Comp  $275

Unemployment $500

Office Supplies  $1,198

Audit                     $4,000

Travel                    $1,500

Dues                      $300

Phone/internet $1,900

Org. Comm.        $6,820

Promo Comm.   $5,250

Design Comm.   $3,777

Business Comm. $2,205

 

Total Budget:     $67,582  (2012/2013 budget)

 

It would be a great innovation for the City that has had so much problems in the past with Treasurer issues to allow the public to access this information when they visit the Scottville website, so that the public can be better informed on numbers.  But thanks to the relevant party for supplying the facts.

[XLFD]

Sean, I have also never criticized the comparatively low pay the county officers receive.  LPD officers have a much better base salary and benefits than our county officers, and I am a person that believes the county officers deserve better.  LPD deserves pay cuts, and I would not argue against modest raises for MCSO, including corrections officers, and never have.

[AQUAMAN]

And to think that Scottville is getting so big and so vibrant in expansions and new growth....lol. Yes Willy, it's a big waste of taxpayers monies imho too. The other thing that bugged me about that main street manager position during the search for a person, was that again, it was decided to hire another down stater to receive that fat paycheck, instead of a local grown citizen. He had no better experience nor education for the job either, just another whif of newfound glory in smaller ponds. Sure would be nice to see some local faces participate in local governing/appointed positions nowadays, some people that know the local history and can make decisions with local knowledge. Finally, if the LE and others in this county are driven in their positions to serve and protect the locals, why then do they need the backing of unions in their paychecks? Seems like the locals have been very generous before they came about here, now that payscale seems overbloated for the size of the community and responsibilities involved.

[Sean]

Why do LPD Officers DESERVE pay-cuts?  They are making around 40k and Sergent's I bet around making 50k...do you realize what other Police Agencies start out at?  I saw when the part time position in the paper was posted that other local part time officers pay is $12 an hour and that is just ridiculous. I'm pretty sure that the County has way better benefits than the city would.