Mertzig proposes extending city employee contracts
February 24, 2011 at 7:17 am in Superior Telegram
Extended contracts would take precedence over Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget repair bill until those contracts expire.
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Mertzig proposes extending city employee contracts
3 Comments
He is a typical shortsighted liberal!!
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I’m assuming that nobody on the city council has read anything on Scott Walker’s budget other than what their union bosses hand them. And that’s unfortunate. Unfortunate for the people of Superior and unfortunate for the numerous city workers that will be getting laid off because of Mertzig’s proposal and the flock that will blindly vote with him.
Perhaps the people of Superior need a little educating on the subject. The part of property taxes you pay as a homeowner or support with your rent check is governed by the state. The state has mandated that this city portion of your property tax shall not exceed 3% of the previous years tax or tax levy. This is a good thing because your city council has taken nearly the maximum percent increase for the last half dozen years. [Thank God for the cap] Now, under Walker, that maximum increase in the tax levy is going to be reduced to ZERO. That’s a mandated zero percent increase – and this is an awesome thing because our city taxes are now frozen and the spend happy city council can’t do nuttin’ honey for at least the next 4 years {under Walker}.
Here’s the rub. Under the act now, read about and understand it later actions of Mertzig, the city council is forcing a contract extension to no more or less give the finger to Walker. Net result, without taking the concessions the union already said they would take, there will be lay offs to make up for the estimated $1 million loss in state revenue to Superior. Instead of working with the concessions and making other adjustments, Mertzig and others are choosing to make an ill-informed rushed stand. Without working with the tools Walker promised – there will be about 1 million dollars in salary cuts to make up for it.
Blaming Walker for this, I think not. This ones going to be on the grossly unbalanced city council that Superior keeps electing.
I would prefer that Mertzig sticks with trying to ban toys from McDonalds kid’s meal instead of trying to do math in his head. How many house for sale signs on each city block does the council need to get the message?
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Well said Don. The city council also needs to remember they need to make decisions on what is best for the taxpayers of Superior. With those layoffs you mention go elimination or reductions in services.
The Superior City Council and Douglas County Board both need to balance what is good for the entire Union workforce and the services they provide and what is good for ALL the taxpayers. Rushing as they are into decisions without know all the financial ramifications could have some unintended results.
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