[67drake]

I belong to a number of websites, and pretty diverse, but figured this was the one to get feedback. I’ll try to make it short, but could write a novel.
I just got back from my town board meeting. Being the zoning officer I have to give a report every month, so I’m at all of them. I swear people have no critical thinking skills or business sense in this town. I don’t know if this is the norm or the exception.
Seems like the board will vote to spend money on often unnecessary or overpriced repairs, but turn a blind eye when it comes to generating tax or things to improve the town.
Examples, approved spending $8000 to have our 40 or so fire hydrants painted by an outside contractor, when the public works guy used to do a handful every year for the ost of the paint. NOT that they need painting now anyway.
The town clerk keeps bringing up that we have TIFF fund money available, but needs to be applied for before April 1st, or we lose it. We can get up to $104,000 to fix up a property (or properties) with no out of pocket money to be put in by the village. The money can then be rolled over after that property sells, and keep going. This is a poor area, and $$104,000 would buy a great property around here. We have so many empty lots and houses that the village owns that are candidates, it’s not even funny. This would generate more property tax and put a low income family in a home for cheap. Anyway, the board shows no interest in taking advantage of the program. It infuriates me! Fix up an eyesore abandoned home and generate more taxes and help a family, with free money- nope! I could go on and on.
Issue #2- NOBODY comes to the board meetings outside of the board members, me, and our police officer. Not one. Everyone complains about issues around town, nobody wants to bother going to see what the board does. I don’t agree with everyone’s point of view of coarse, but if you don’t monitor your local government, then shut up!
Just wondering if it is a common situation. I thought people always came to board meetings to at least bitch. I would welcome this! At least the board knows they might be kept in check. Or is anybody on a town board?

[400 4spd.]

I have lived in a rural area for 30 years. About 15 years ago, three neighbors and I attended and spoke at a county commissioners meeting in protest of a zoning request/change that would take place adjacent to our properties. Approving the request had the potential to make an adjoining land owner very wealthy.
I was able to prove that the planning commissioner had lied about his legally required public postings about the zoning request, and we won. That is my one and only experience participating in local government actions.

[dataway]

In this day and age it would be very simple to post major town board issues on the the town website and take comments there. Participation would skyrocket. Or at the least work to get the information out there how to mail in your comments to participate.

Our town of 2000 people in the middle of nowhere has it's own website.

[Andre]

Having been a land surveying/engineering consultant for cities in Palm Beach County for the last 30 years, I can tell you a thousand stories. At first glance of your town council based on your post, I wonder if any of your cf them have ever owned and ran business?

[TAKerry]

I understand your frustration. I second having a website and live streaming. Like dataway, our small town does this. I live out of limits and do not pay tax there so I do not watch as I have no dog in the fight. Besides the perceived corruption there gets my BP up. I was in the Kiwanis years ago, one of our members was a board member of so and so, I cant remember the organization. But he was a very conservative, intelligent, Dr. He told a story of how they had to vote how to spend an excess of funds and they had nothing to spend it on, so they were coming up with all kinds of ridiculous ways, otherwise they would lose the money in the coming year. Doc, suggested just giving the money back, he said that you could have heard a pin drop then they blasted him!

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by 67drake

I swear people have no critical thinking skills or business sense in this town. I don’t know if this is the norm or the exception.

It is the norm.

And it is not just zoning boards.

K

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by Andre

Having been a land surveying/engineering consultant for cities in Palm Beach County for the last 30 years, I can tell you a thousand stories. At first glance of your town council based on your post, I wonder if any of your cf them have ever owned and ran business?

That is the key right there, anyone that has owned their own business would never make stupid decisions.

[Chief of the 60's]

I too am in a rural area and am on my town's planning board and my town seems to be the opposite. They will give OK's to almost anybody to build almost anything, almost anywhere just for the additional tax revenue. I do not agree with this line of thinking as it is not what people come to this area for. Too many times I'll make a point to remind the other members that this is a rural area, and area where people have moved to because its a rural area, the people do not want some of these projects, the people are who we work for and we need to listen the people.

[bird72]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

I too am in a rural area and am on my town's planning board and my town seems to be the opposite. They will give OK's to almost anybody to build almost anything, almost anywhere just for the additional tax revenue. I do not agree with this line of thinking as it is not what people come to this area for. Too many times I'll make a point to remind the other members that this is a rural area, and area where people have moved to because its a rural area, the people do not want some of these projects, the people are who we work for and we need to listen the people.

I commend you for being on the board. I agree 100% on your philosophy on this. I am rural also and will be even more so soon.

[67drake]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

It is the norm.

And it is not just zoning boards.

K

I’m the zoning officer, but this is the town board meeting I’m talking about. I’m not supposed to talk after I give my report, but with a ridiculous things they think and say, I can’t bite my tongue. I ask permission to talk and point out flaws in the thoughts going around. Politely of coarse.
My wife is running for the board in April, just turned the signatures in last week, if she doesn’t get on I have to run next time. I can’t take it anymore.

[buds56]

I live in a small town in a crowded urban area and would go to the meetings mainly at tax time to state my objections to the tax increases and working within the budget like I do at home, ( property tax has tripled in the last 18 years),

It never did any good, for every 50 people against the tax increases there was 40 wanting the city to do everthing for them and attack me as someone that doesn't want to pay any taxes,. so the council would do what they wanted anyway.and raise the taxes

I don't go anymore.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by bird72

I commend you for being on the board. I agree 100% on your philosophy on this. I am rural also and will be even more so soon.

Thanks but do not misunderstand me. Improvements and change is not only good but necessary however, it must be done in moderation as well as fit into the area.

Currently I butt heads several times a year over these "Solar Farms". I don't like them, the residents don't like them, they eat up the land and they are unsightly. But it doesn't matter what the people want, these things are getting rammed down their throats.

Getting back to my original post..... I made it a point, and it passed, that a Solar Farm can only occupy X amount of land. A Solar company purchased 2 adjacent parcels of land, virtually doubling the size against the Zoning Law, the board gave it their blessing and pissed off several residents in the immediate surroundings. This action almost got me to resign.

[71GP76TA]

I went to one as I am a business owner. Voiced my opinion.. which opposed their liberal tax and spend mindset. As soon as I walked in and noticed too many people wearing glasses with weird colored frames and "Karen" haircuts... I knew I was in for it. Needless to say I got ganged up on and railroaded... threatened and pretty much thrown out. This seams to be the norm throughout the country from the top all the way down. If anybody voices an opposing opinion they are demonized and banished. Not trying to be political.. just posting a real world point of view and experience.. You can't fight city hall.....