Thank you Denice for this timely reminder. When Santa Barbara is now paying $281,000 per year for a librarian, you know spending is out of control. Every tax and/or fee hike is strictly used for enhanced pay and benefits for city/county workers, regardless of how it is presented and where it is supposedly targeted. Refuse every request for more, and insist on paring expenses first, then maybe we can begin to balance things out, though it does seem as we've gone too far to ever reach that goal.
Denice, Well done and well said! By every objective metric the city is racing to the bottom and there are certain council members who are gleefully adding fuel to the fire—baffling. There is no financial discipline or even an understanding of their fiduciary responsibility. For the second year in a row we are digging into emergency and general fund reserves with no end in sight. TOT is flat and sales tax revenue is $2M off budget/less than last year—together these represent 25% of our revenue. Property taxes are next to be threatened with a legal Demand Letter recently sent to the city threatening litigation based on diminished economic value—not really a good look when a city is sued by business and property owners that pay the lions share of revenues. And you are spot on—the city expenses have literally doubled while its population has decreased—where are the cuts?Who are these people performing for? Do they even understand financial statements or structural budget deficits? That said, you are correct: While many complain far too few will actively engage in the process. Thank you for caring (and writing)!
“Property taxes are next to be threatened with a legal Demand Letter recently sent to the city threatening litigation based on diminished economic value—not really a good look when a city is sued by business and property owners that pay the lions share of revenues. And you are spot on—the city expenses have literally doubled while its population has decreased—where are the cuts?” Your articulated the source of my nightmares. Thank you Jeff.
While I can't speak for Santa Barbara as I live in Santa Maria,I can object to the county government. I moved here in 1995 from San Bernardino county. At that time my home loan had property taxes included in the house payment. Every year the loan company over estimated taxes in the impound account. So we got a refund. After moving to Santa Barbara county,every year we've had to pay more over and above the estimate for property taxes. This county doesn't know how to manage its income. The marijuana tax is a good example of not researching the industry and not supporting law enforcement for illegal farms. There's too much regulations on everything,oil,wine industry,tourism,and then you have nimbys. Democrats don't care,and the wealthy don't either. I personally would welcome bankruptcy and the calpers retirement is broke and always will be. You get what you vote for.
Denice, thank you for reporting the details/specifics you've included. I'm more progressive-leaning than most on this board, but our completely lopsided council is running amok. I'd love to get a person or two with some fiscal/number background to draw some lines to operate in. Our town needs some balance.
Denice, you have written to the readers, a call for action, not pontification. You are correct that many of us who live outside the city are significantly affected by some of its actions.
We all need to think about what to do and how to do it in response to her challenge. We need a list of counteractions to push both the city council and the employed administration into an affordable and effective method of management of this city. At present, at both levels, spending is out of control and their objectives, reflected in their spending and demands for more taxes are at extreme odds with those who have to pay for them in both direct and direct taxes.
It seems to me that at least, a charge misfeasance or malfeasance in spending taxpayers' money, against both the city council and the administration should be considered.
As I have been advised by another reader, that the city administration has undergone two professional efficiencies of operations analyses, both of which concluded that the city was significantly overstaffed and over-paid for the tasks to be accomplished. In both cases the city's response was to do nothing. Perhaps that is a place to start as a pressure point with an organized Government Improvement task force.
How do we stop this? We have known this for years and I would think that most people agree that this has to change. How go we get the mayor out and elect people who are educated enough to know how to run a city and get rid of all the waste. I still own property in Montecito and I watch as this continues to get worse.
I am more than willing to help legal residents truly in need. But overtime, the concepts of self-reliance and personal responsibility have been extinguished from our public debates. Too, too many of our citizens have become immature adolescents living in their parents’ (the government’s) basement. It is long past time for the adults to leave the basement. Berney
Thank you, Denice Spangler Adams!! Ms Sneddon must be replaced/voted out. Her salary is well above most cities that are Santa Barbara’s size. Her and her colleagues’ spending is beyond excessive. Their pensions have been increased excessively and she must NOT be voted in as mayor of Santa Barbara!!
Every election time the same arguments .... there is an answer put on the ballot an item that says "no confidence." NC option for any elected office. Within this item it states if "no confidence" wins the seat, it is left vacant and the remaining Council may NOT appoint a fill in. No Confidence would be listed on the election outcomes as a candidate.
Think about it..... the people would have the right to express their option and how would it look if "no confidence" came in a close second even though it did not win?
No confidence loses by a whopping 45%.... Laugh, it would make the point there are a whole bunch who don't want the alternative.
Where is the back bone of the Democrat Left when faced with RHNA, 7-8 Story buildings; to face up to Sacramento, say NO MORE! If you have not figured it out this area is out of potable water supplies. High density stupidity will concrete over every last green space. Remember the last crop of farmers is concrete.
It is time to start cutting back on staff when you are faced with deficits. That does not mean we'll part time you. Last hired first fired.
Tired of dangerous e-bikes? Tired of illegals doing business without a license? Tired of seeing taxable land and special district taxes disappearing because the government now owns that housing and land?
Tired of seeing efficient and safe streets become barricaded nightmares? Tired of the pursuit of vision-less transportation that has failed for minimum of a quarter of a century?
Tired of the excuses for their failures being "we just need more time and taxpayer money"...?
SB appears to be a strong Mayor/Council form of government. Would a city manager form of government serve our residents in a better way? This city (and county) has an enormous amount of successful leadership talent in our residents. Let’s tap that talent with a volunteer citizens council. We clearly need to be on a better track for the future. Denise, thank you for this column! You inspire.
Any of you know how many millions we've paid out for school teachers and school employees for sexual abuse? An attorney friend tells me it is considerable. Kinda makes sense with stuff going on in LA and the fact that Montecito and SB are one of the nation’s top hotbeds for sex trafficing.
There was a legal demand letter sent to the City Clerk (making it “public”) on Sept 14–based on similar allegations as was contained in the Ventura lawsuit where Main Street businesses alleged loss of economic value based on main street’s closure.
Thanks for the excellent reporting Denice on the current sorry fiscal state of our City. Also really glad to know that Sneddon and Harmon are terming out, hopefully enough intelligent voters turn out to elect someone with basic knowledge of economics and math to take their place. I was quite alarmed however of your mention of a possible "spare bedroom mandate" by the City?
Thank you Denice for this timely reminder. When Santa Barbara is now paying $281,000 per year for a librarian, you know spending is out of control. Every tax and/or fee hike is strictly used for enhanced pay and benefits for city/county workers, regardless of how it is presented and where it is supposedly targeted. Refuse every request for more, and insist on paring expenses first, then maybe we can begin to balance things out, though it does seem as we've gone too far to ever reach that goal.
Fiscal responsibility is forbidden by the woke elected officials among us!! A tragic state of being for Santa Barbara!
Excellent article. Our city council is useless.
Denice, Well done and well said! By every objective metric the city is racing to the bottom and there are certain council members who are gleefully adding fuel to the fire—baffling. There is no financial discipline or even an understanding of their fiduciary responsibility. For the second year in a row we are digging into emergency and general fund reserves with no end in sight. TOT is flat and sales tax revenue is $2M off budget/less than last year—together these represent 25% of our revenue. Property taxes are next to be threatened with a legal Demand Letter recently sent to the city threatening litigation based on diminished economic value—not really a good look when a city is sued by business and property owners that pay the lions share of revenues. And you are spot on—the city expenses have literally doubled while its population has decreased—where are the cuts?Who are these people performing for? Do they even understand financial statements or structural budget deficits? That said, you are correct: While many complain far too few will actively engage in the process. Thank you for caring (and writing)!
Was a legal demand letter sent to the city threatening litigation based on diminished economic value, or are you suggesting such a letter be sent?
“Property taxes are next to be threatened with a legal Demand Letter recently sent to the city threatening litigation based on diminished economic value—not really a good look when a city is sued by business and property owners that pay the lions share of revenues. And you are spot on—the city expenses have literally doubled while its population has decreased—where are the cuts?” Your articulated the source of my nightmares. Thank you Jeff.
Someone needs to ask what this other pay is for!!!!!!!!!!
While I can't speak for Santa Barbara as I live in Santa Maria,I can object to the county government. I moved here in 1995 from San Bernardino county. At that time my home loan had property taxes included in the house payment. Every year the loan company over estimated taxes in the impound account. So we got a refund. After moving to Santa Barbara county,every year we've had to pay more over and above the estimate for property taxes. This county doesn't know how to manage its income. The marijuana tax is a good example of not researching the industry and not supporting law enforcement for illegal farms. There's too much regulations on everything,oil,wine industry,tourism,and then you have nimbys. Democrats don't care,and the wealthy don't either. I personally would welcome bankruptcy and the calpers retirement is broke and always will be. You get what you vote for.
Denice, thank you for reporting the details/specifics you've included. I'm more progressive-leaning than most on this board, but our completely lopsided council is running amok. I'd love to get a person or two with some fiscal/number background to draw some lines to operate in. Our town needs some balance.
Denice, you have written to the readers, a call for action, not pontification. You are correct that many of us who live outside the city are significantly affected by some of its actions.
We all need to think about what to do and how to do it in response to her challenge. We need a list of counteractions to push both the city council and the employed administration into an affordable and effective method of management of this city. At present, at both levels, spending is out of control and their objectives, reflected in their spending and demands for more taxes are at extreme odds with those who have to pay for them in both direct and direct taxes.
It seems to me that at least, a charge misfeasance or malfeasance in spending taxpayers' money, against both the city council and the administration should be considered.
As I have been advised by another reader, that the city administration has undergone two professional efficiencies of operations analyses, both of which concluded that the city was significantly overstaffed and over-paid for the tasks to be accomplished. In both cases the city's response was to do nothing. Perhaps that is a place to start as a pressure point with an organized Government Improvement task force.
How do we stop this? We have known this for years and I would think that most people agree that this has to change. How go we get the mayor out and elect people who are educated enough to know how to run a city and get rid of all the waste. I still own property in Montecito and I watch as this continues to get worse.
Wow
I am more than willing to help legal residents truly in need. But overtime, the concepts of self-reliance and personal responsibility have been extinguished from our public debates. Too, too many of our citizens have become immature adolescents living in their parents’ (the government’s) basement. It is long past time for the adults to leave the basement. Berney
Thank you, Denice Spangler Adams!! Ms Sneddon must be replaced/voted out. Her salary is well above most cities that are Santa Barbara’s size. Her and her colleagues’ spending is beyond excessive. Their pensions have been increased excessively and she must NOT be voted in as mayor of Santa Barbara!!
Every election time the same arguments .... there is an answer put on the ballot an item that says "no confidence." NC option for any elected office. Within this item it states if "no confidence" wins the seat, it is left vacant and the remaining Council may NOT appoint a fill in. No Confidence would be listed on the election outcomes as a candidate.
Think about it..... the people would have the right to express their option and how would it look if "no confidence" came in a close second even though it did not win?
No confidence loses by a whopping 45%.... Laugh, it would make the point there are a whole bunch who don't want the alternative.
Where is the back bone of the Democrat Left when faced with RHNA, 7-8 Story buildings; to face up to Sacramento, say NO MORE! If you have not figured it out this area is out of potable water supplies. High density stupidity will concrete over every last green space. Remember the last crop of farmers is concrete.
It is time to start cutting back on staff when you are faced with deficits. That does not mean we'll part time you. Last hired first fired.
Tired of dangerous e-bikes? Tired of illegals doing business without a license? Tired of seeing taxable land and special district taxes disappearing because the government now owns that housing and land?
Tired of seeing efficient and safe streets become barricaded nightmares? Tired of the pursuit of vision-less transportation that has failed for minimum of a quarter of a century?
Tired of the excuses for their failures being "we just need more time and taxpayer money"...?
Something to think about....
Thanks Denice
SB appears to be a strong Mayor/Council form of government. Would a city manager form of government serve our residents in a better way? This city (and county) has an enormous amount of successful leadership talent in our residents. Let’s tap that talent with a volunteer citizens council. We clearly need to be on a better track for the future. Denise, thank you for this column! You inspire.
Any of you know how many millions we've paid out for school teachers and school employees for sexual abuse? An attorney friend tells me it is considerable. Kinda makes sense with stuff going on in LA and the fact that Montecito and SB are one of the nation’s top hotbeds for sex trafficing.
Denice Spangler Adams, YOU need to run for one of the offices!
There was a legal demand letter sent to the City Clerk (making it “public”) on Sept 14–based on similar allegations as was contained in the Ventura lawsuit where Main Street businesses alleged loss of economic value based on main street’s closure.
Thanks for the excellent reporting Denice on the current sorry fiscal state of our City. Also really glad to know that Sneddon and Harmon are terming out, hopefully enough intelligent voters turn out to elect someone with basic knowledge of economics and math to take their place. I was quite alarmed however of your mention of a possible "spare bedroom mandate" by the City?