The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

Since Council allowed no public comments for Item 3a last night, chime in here with your top three ideas. 

Mine:
1) 86 Waterworks (http://www.cityoftulsa.org/Recreation/Parks/WaterWorks.asp)
2) 86 T-Transit
3) 86 Kathy!   :P

Don't pay the City's portion of the IDL Stadium Tax.

At the end of the year, the City can repossess the properties for failure to pay the tax.

Your suggestion is to quit providing city services, nix the only public transit system at a time when ridership is increasing quickly, and nix the unpaid mayor.

This thread is full of win!

What's your point?

Sounds like the Republican, small govt dream to me.

Kathy's answer will likely be tax hikes. Some people favor laying off cops because they see them sitting at donut shops all day, but it has to be remembered the cops can only do what their bosses tell 'em to do. If a cop's boss tells him to sit on the B.A. Expressway all day clocking cars with radar & looking for speeders instead of fighting crime, the cop has to do as he's told, but from the public's point of view that cop is taking it easy and it's wasted manpower.

You might want to brush up on how the city works, non-resident.

First off, city sales tax hikes can't be increased without of vote of the citizens.  I believe millage rates have to be ratified by vote as well.

Second, there are no places anymore for cops to just 'sit', on the 'B.A.'

I guess the times I see them on the 41st St. bridge directing the fleet of motorcycles pulling people over or the ones in the center median as I swing downtown between the 15th and Utica exits don't count?

Now who is making stupid statements?

My point is, they can't hide anywhere on the BA because of a lack of hidey holes since all the center median is pretty much gone.  That usually deters them from speed traps without the element of stealth.

Perhaps greater control and oversight of Boards, Authorities and Commissions that are allocated large sums of public tax dollars with little to no oversight when required. 

Case in point, the recent MTTA audit that identified a minimum of $500,000 worth of unneccessary expenses (overstocked parts).

Perhaps greater oversight and inspection controls of Public Works projects and bids...its time to trim the fat off teh contracts and hold contractors to their penalties. 

More rapid response and investment in costs savings and revenue generating programs (like the recently approved E-Ticket system) that can be utilized to put more officers on the street, paid for by the implentation and use of the system by the motorcycle patrol.

Greater control and oversight of City employee timesheets....remember the fiasco with TDA staffers (provided by the City) misallocating time to the Community Development Block Grants accounts when they were doing city business?  This should have cost the City the $1.5 million but Taylor got TDA to cover the expense out of their operations budget instead.  Makes you wonder how much is being misallocated elsewhere.

I'm sure there's more in the budget that could be picked through but I haven't read it yet, these are just off the top of my head. 

I think we should sell naming rights and use corporate logos on city property.

Flash a big Nike Swoosh on City Hall, make orange barrels ads for Cracker Barrel, have the firetrucks advertise for picante sauce, have street department workers wear vests with ads for car insurance, and put bumper stickers on police cars that say "follow me to Krispy Kreme".

It seems a shame that the orange barrels are not subject to naming rights, to be used by the leaser to post bumper stickers on.  That alone should convert much money into the city coffers.

Then there is room in the budget for the second snow storm of the season covering up the alleged fraud in public works.  It’s now a third of a million dollars (plus expenses ????) covering the department to where it will be  shown as sunlight on white glittering snow.  Another snow job will be paid for out of the nonexistent budget shortage all because a whistle blower from within the department ask the feds to look into it. 

While all of these ideas are worthy of consideration, and may very well be on the drawing board, this may be the point at which we need to consider the source of such recommendations.

Yes the people that come up with these ideas...

Below is an article from the 2002 Michael Bates campaign for City Council.

again; we should consider any and all cuts that can be made, no?

---

In 1979, Tulsa voted a 2% tax on hotel and motel rooms to pay for expanding the Convention Center with 100,000 square feet of exhibit space and other improvements. Taxes were not raised on Tulsans. 2% now amounts to about $2,000,000 a year. When the expansion was complete, most  of that 2% was redirected from upkeep of the Convention Center to an "economic development fund". This money is paid to the Chamber of Commerce for economic development services. We need to examine the situation, decide if we are getting good value for money,

 

Isn't it convenient that Tulsa's debt service obligations went from $60 million in 2009 to $68 million in FY 2010...

And somehow there is an $8 million dollar budget shortfall.

http://www.cityoftulsa.org/OurCity/Budget/Budget09-10/Section02ExecutiveSummary.pdf
page 15

Christiansen to Over-Paid Staff: Take a Cut

Top 10 city salaries

1: Public Works Director Charles Hardt: $178,156.80

2: City Physician Phillip Berry: $167,998.56

3: City Attorney Deirdre Dexter: $167,000.16

4: Police Chief Ron Palmer:$165,000

5: Fire Chief Allen LaCroix: $151,158

6: Airports Director Jeff Mulder: $137,775.60

7: Finance Director Mike Kier: $137,775.60

8: Deputy City Attorney Jean Ann Hudson:$135,553.20

9: Chief Technology Officer Ben Stout:$135,199.92

10: Mayoral Chief of Staff Amy Polonchek:$135,000

I look at this list and think "gee, I wish I could make that much".  Then I think about it and realize that what I do doesn't compair to these folks jobs.  They still might be a bit on the high side, what would you recommend they get paid?

they could take a 10% paycut.  By my estimation and quick math that would be roughly $150,799 dollars.  We all have to make sacrifices, not just the people at the bottom of the food chain.

I can't imagine too much crying if #1 left..

For directorships, that is pretty normal (if not a little light)

What does a city Physician do?

Christiansen's "great plan" is to cut $10k from 50 people and to get the rest by doing things like layoffs.

The Mayor's plan involves cuts to everyone's salary and "the bottom of the food chain" losing about $1 per day. (Hardt would lose $7.32/day)

Deal with worker's compensation, safety, city wellness programs, etc.

That Tulsaworld article says they even just yesterday hired for a new position, Director of Inter-Governmental Affairs.  That sounds like an expensive position.

Hiring a Dir. of Intergovernmental Affairs during a City wide hiring-freeze and budget shortfall is a slap to everyone working in City government.  Don't tell me that those among her highest paid staffers can't take on a lil added responsibility and accomplish the same thing if she'd not willing to cut their salaries. 

A better look should be given to what all these staffers and Company minded executive directors do.  Exactly what does Mike Bunney do for the City as Economic Development Director?  Could this not fall into his pervue?  He was hired from Boeing where he helped select plant sites.  I eas never sure what his background in economic development was, but to date his name has been tied to nothing of substantial development besides beign the mouthpiece for the City on proposed developments, the much balleyhood interest of unseen developers, his connections to TDA affairs and the ballpark.

What is Nancy Seigel doing as Mayor's Counsel if Dexter is the City Attorney?  What is Amy Polencheck doing as Chief of Staff that should be the responsibilty of the Mayor?   What is Susan Neal doing if Dwain Midget and Mike Bunney are tackling the WIN, Grants Administration and City/TDA Staff?

I believe the paper said or estimated $80K, which means probably a net cost to the city of about $100 to 110K.

It dawned on me as I read Easterling's Urban Tulsa article on the city budget today....Tulsan's get another water rate increase, but no mention of all the suburban water rates, many of whom already had rates less than ours.

Seems if the water system is going to pay for itself, then all those drinking from it should get an increase, not just Tulsans.

I bet she hired Stuart McCalman because he has national connections.  He worked for U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe and former U.S. Rep. J.C. Watts. So could it be that she wants a state or federal government position? Is she using Tulsa tax dollars to further her career?

I like how the Mayors office quotes salaries for her employees, $80,000 a year.  I bet that is just the salary. Not the cost to the city.  But when they quote police and firefighters salaries they quote the total amount it cost the city. 

Or, you know, she might be trying to get more federal money for the city. It couldn't possibly be the obvious, though.