No day goes by when I don’t explore some fresh way to look at the City of Plattsburgh’s challenges. By looking at the same problem in multiple ways, perhaps more workable solutions can be found.
Somebody took exception that I’m willing to utter the word merger. I don’t find that word threatening. Indeed, perhaps a dozen people have since told me that they were glad somebody was willing to mention the unmentionable.
Let’s be clear, though. The city is not going away, but it could function in a different way, if other attempts at sustainability fail.
What’s most important is to make the city sustainable. I noted here last week that our current path is unsustainable.
This city cannot survive long with 3-4 percent increases in payroll-related costs that require 6-8 percent property tax increases to balance the books.
After all, property tax revenue makes up half of our expenses, but major components in the other half of revenue don’t rise. Indeed, some, like the Payment in Lieu of Taxes you may be hearing so much about, have actually been falling dramatically.
We’ve worked hard to cut expenses this year, and must do the same in 2018. That becomes increasingly difficult.
We must aim for sustainability, though. If we contain the rise of expenses, if we raise our property tax base significantly, if we can get population to grow again, if property values can start rising, if we can create some developable land, and if we solve myriad smaller challenges, well, I believe we can become sustainable.
It’s not daunting. If we fire on all six cylinders, we can create a future for the city that many people imagine.
There’s some big ifs, all of which must be resolved. We can’t do them all immediately. I’d like to put things in place so we’re sustainable in 20 years.
I’ll ask current employees to help, but not by making huge sacrifices themselves. Instead, we must develop a compensation and benefits package for future employees that is competitive and fair, that is offered at comparable places such as the county or other small cities, and that offers them pathways to promotion. These conversation are hard, but things worth doing often are.
Dissolution is unnecessary. Dialogue is. We all want a city for our next generation of workers and residents, and must plan accordingly today for a city forever.
