It may seem generous or even magnanimous that Anderson firefighters are willing to give up $890,000 in ambulance user fees (the city projects $1.05 million will be collected in 2010) to help balance the city’s budget.
But the question persists: Why is it the firefighters’ money in the first place?
Wouldn’t it make more sense for the money always to go into the city’s general fund, so that council could decide to use it as needed?
The practice of various city departments having their own little (or big) pot of self-generated money to be used within that department is a bad one. Such arrangements force city council to forfeit control of revenue that could be used for other purposes.
In this particular case, the user fees had been funneled into a fund to be used to upgrade fire equipment, purchase new trucks and maintain fire stations. Such a fund is important, since municipalities often find themselves in dire need of new fire trucks and police cars but haven’t set aside the money to buy them.
The firefighters’ offer to forfeit the money into the general fund, in this case, seems a bit less altruistic when you know that they wanted something specific out of the offer — the agreement that no firefighters be laid off.
City council approved the agreement last week, effectively tying its own hands. It should have sought to access the money for whatever council members felt was the most pressing need in the general fund. Instead, in two years, the money will begin feeding back into the fire equipment fund.
Council’s decision seemed dictated by the root problem — that user fees were going straight into the fire equipment fund. Council must fix that problem first by seeing that such user fees go into the general fund, out of which certain needs — such as saving money for new fire trucks — would be assigned.
The current arrangement gives the impression that city government isn’t one complete functioning entity, as much as it is a conglomeration of entities that compete against one another for resources and jealously guard their own pots of gold.
Editorials
Editorial: Why does fire department keep ambulance user fees?
- Editorials
-
-
Editorial: Get permission before school pranks
Anderson High School decided to show some solidarity with their Cascade peers and filled up the school with post-it notes, all in good fun. This prank was also done after hours but with a big difference: The students had requested and received permission to imitate Cascade.
-
You Said It: About fundraiser, missing woman, building preservation
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
-
Editorial: Memorial Day helps put face on wounded warriors
This is the perfect weekend to thank a veteran, an active duty service member or a wounded warrior for his or her service. Our positive, encouraging response goes a long way in defining our society.
-
Editorial: Honor those who fought, and celebrate our freedom
This weekend, keep in mind the reason for Memorial Day — to remember those who have been so important in our lives, especially those who made the supreme sacrifice in military service.
-
Editorial: Governor candidates offer conservatism, moderation
The jockeying for position has begun in what is basically a two-horse gubernatorial race. Each offers voters a legitimate option. The November outcome may offer a simple referendum on the mindset of voters: Are they most persuaded by Mike Pence’s conservatism or by John Gregg’s moderation?
-
Editorial: Keep up the chorus against the landfill
Occupy Anderson has joined the ever-growing chorus against the proposed Mallard Lake landfill. Sam Mudd, a member of Occupy, is taking his studies on how the landfill might pollute Anderson’s water to areas of the county to drum up support against the landfill.
-
Editorial: Find a buyer for former school or tear it down
If a buyer wants the former Pendleton Heights Middle School, fine, but put no more taxpayer money into it.
-
Editorial: Libraries must adapt to serve communities
Certainly, the Friends of the Anderson Public Library needs space to store and sell used books, records, DVDs and other material. But library supporters and staff must be flexible in this ever-changing world to keep public facilities relevant.
-
You Said It: About Walking Men, the Queen of Disco and settled lawsuits
Each Monday, The Herald Bulletin publishes “You Said It,” a compilation of reader comments from www.theheraldbulletin.com.
-
Editorial: Ockomon-Spencer saga hurt city's reputation
Wednesday, May 16, was a sad day for Anderson taxpayers forced to pay a $128,000 bill that ends a saga that never should have started
- More Editorials Headlines
-
