Good news, everybody. From KTSM.com:
El Paso City Council received an update on its financial report for 2019 Tuesday, which showed a $5.3 million surplus according to the City’s Chief Financial Officer [Robert Cortinas].
The City claims this is the fifth year in a row the general fund ended the fiscal year with a surplus, resulting in $44.6 million in savings since 2016.
The surplus, of course, was generated with the help of higher property tax rates.
According the City’s FY2019 Budget Book:
This budget will raise more revenue from property taxes than last year’s budget by an amount of $15,053,621, which is a 5.41 percent increase from last year’s budget. The property tax revenue to be raised from new property added to the tax roll this year is $4,374,191.
Well, it looks to me like we didn’t need as hefty a tax increase last year as the one City Council voted to give us. It looks like to me that they overcharged property owners by $5.3 million, and that they’ve been overcharging property owners for the last five years, for a total amount of $44.6 million.
And now they’re bragging on it.
Remember, that $44.6 million came out of your bank account. Out of your children’s education fund. Out of your food budget. From money you could have spent on hookers and blow.
(Hey, I’m not judging you.)
Do you think our City Government knows how to spend your money better than you do?
They think they do. City Council and the Mayor and the City Manager think they should have first call to decide how you spend your money.
How could this be, if they are constantly asking for more and more? And, where the hell is the money? Show me the money!