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<\/a><\/p>\nThe first thing you may notice is that all tax rates<\/em> for the four Meier-led budget years are higher than what the rates<\/em> were before Meier took office.\u00a0 In fact, during Meier\u2019s first budget cycle as mayor, 2011-12, the Meier-led Council raised<\/em> the tax rate<\/em> 9.43%<\/strong>, the largest single increase in the six years shown above.<\/strong>\u00a0 Look as well at the property values.\u00a0 In the two years before Meier was first elected, Addison\u2019s land values plummeted by about 18% from just over $3.7 billion as of January 1, 2008 (the basis for the \u201908-\u201909 budget) to $3.06 billion as of January 1, 2010 (the basis of the \u201910-\u201911 budget).\u00a0 In Meier\u2019s first mayoral budget, the decrease continued but dramatically slowed to only 1%.\u00a0 That was when Meier raised the tax rate<\/em> 9.43% and, as shown on the chart, the property taxes paid<\/em> by the average Addison homeowner increased by $81.22, or 6.8%.\u00a0 From that point on, the value of Addison\u2019s property recovered significantly.<\/p>\nDespite the increase in property values<\/em>, during the four years Meier has led the budget process, the average total property taxes<\/em> paid by homeowners in Addison (dollars, not rate<\/em><\/span>) have actually increased <\/em>from $1,194.80 in 2010-11 (pre-Meier as mayor) to $1,450.59 in 2014-15.\u00a0 That\u2019s an increase of 21.4<\/strong>%.\u00a0 And, even as Meier has orchestrated modest reductions in the tax rate<\/em> during the last two budget cycles, as referenced in his campaign \u201csound bite,\u201d in actuality total property taxes<\/em> paid by the average homeowner during that two year period increased <\/em>from $1,265.53 in 2012-13 to $1,450.58 in 2014-15, an increase of just under 15%<\/strong>.<\/p>\nAnd, if you look at 2013-14, you see exactly what I described above: while there is a slight decrease in the tax rate<\/em>, the property taxes <\/em>paid by the average Addison homeowner actually increased<\/em> by $189.03, the largest increase<\/em> reflected in the years analyzed above.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why talking only about the tax rate<\/em> can be so misleading.\u00a0 Where is Meier\u2019s discussion of the reasons for the increase in property taxes<\/em> paid by the average Addison homeowner during the four years Meier has been mayor?<\/p>\nConsider as well that these property tax<\/em> increases occurred even as Addison\u2019s land values<\/em> increased a total of 23.9%, starting with a 3.53% increase as of January 1, 2012 (used to budget for 2012-13, Meier\u2019s second year as mayor).\u00a0 This raises another important point, and that is that the consequences of a Council\u2019s decision-making are often felt years later.\u00a0 Here, the rise in property values<\/em> reflects (a) the economic recovery and (b) the work of prior<\/em> Councils who responsibly developed areas like Addison Circle and Vitruvian Park, both of which added significantly to Addison\u2019s property value<\/em>.\u00a0 I doubt you\u2019ll see the likes of those developments any time soon.\u00a0 The Meier-led Council lacks the political courage to engage in that kind of innovative thinking and calculated risk-taking.\u00a0 Theirs is a \u201csound bite\u201d over substance<\/em> approach.\u00a0 If you doubt this, just watch the meeting where they rejected the spectacular AMLI project that was proposed for the area north of Beltline.\u00a0 Or, for that matter, go back and watch the embarrassing blundering that occurred in connection with the Beltline Road utility undergrounding.\u00a0 There, Meier led the Council to approve a multi-million dollar contract, only to cause them to rescind<\/em> it weeks later.\u00a0 After that, they met some more, a new Council was elected, then they decided to have a Town Hall meeting about it, then bring it back to Council again\u2026 and then finally approve it.\u00a0 Again<\/em>.<\/p>\nMake no mistake about it: the development community is watching this gong show.\u00a0 They will grow increasingly reluctant to participate in it.\u00a0 Back in the day, Addison was innovative and unique, but Meier is killing creativity with his tactics, and other communities are catching up.\u00a0 Even as Meier led the Council to reject the AMLI development, Richardson was announcing a new mixed-use urban development.\u00a0 Addison before Meier was always out front.\u00a0 We on the Council listened to the experts \u2013 including our remarkable former City Secretary Carmen Moran \u2013 who had a vision for the future that we didn\u2019t always see.\u00a0 Meier and his group regularly ignore the experts and consultants.\u00a0 Under Meier\u2019s brand of \u201cleadership,\u201d Addison is losing its edge and losing its way.\u00a0 You have to believe that if Meier had been in charge, Addison Circle and Vitruvian would have died in a series of endless, excruciating and pointless meetings.\u00a0 Meier\u2019s inefficient and spineless approach leaves many of us deeply concerned for Addison\u2019s future.\u00a0 The damage being done today will be felt for years to come.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s the bottom line: while Meier\u2019s campaign \u201csound bite\u201d about lowering the tax rate<\/em> is literally correct, it is misleading and ignores the reality of Addison\u2019s tax situation.\u00a0 The fact is that during Meier\u2019s tenure, the average homeowner in Addison has experienced an increase<\/em> in property<\/em> taxes paid<\/em>.\u00a0 Perhaps there were reasons for this, but you don\u2019t hear about them from Meier, who instead misleads Addison\u2019s residents with his verbal sleight of hand.\u00a0 As mayor of this Town, Meier owes Addison\u2019s citizens honest dialog on these issues, rather than campaign \u201csound bites\u201d that mischaracterize the record and impart no substantive information<\/strong>.<\/p>\nLet\u2019s turn to Meier\u2019s second campaign \u201csound bite,\u201d the promise to continue decreasing the tax rate<\/em>, and why it is so utterly irresponsible.\u00a0 As described above, Addison is provided with information about the value of its property as of January first each year.\u00a0 That information is used as the basis for the next fiscal year\u2019s budget, which is passed 9 months later in September. At the same time, Addison looks at the question of the total tax revenue that will be needed to run the Town.\u00a0 This includes not only fixed expenses, but also maintenance and special projects that need attention. \u00a0In broad terms, Addison compares the two, and then essentially backs into<\/em> the tax rate<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\nThis means that until you have a handle on (a) property value<\/em> (which may include, for example, an analysis of who is protesting their value<\/em>), and (b) what the Town\u2019s expenditures will be for the upcoming year, it is arbitrary and irresponsible to suggest that you have already decided to cut the tax rate<\/em>.\u00a0 You just can\u2019t know that in advance.<\/p>\nAnd here\u2019s where responsibility meets political backbone.\u00a0 It isn\u2019t always in the Town\u2019s best interest to cut the tax rate<\/em>.\u00a0 In fact, it isn\u2019t always in the Town\u2019s best interest to cut total taxes<\/em> paid by residents.\u00a0 There are times when things need fixing and expenditures are necessary and in the best interest of Addison.\u00a0 These are hard decisions that may even be unpopular, but they are decisions that have to be made.\u00a0 Being on Council means that you must have the political backbone to (a) be truthful<\/em> in describing the substance of these difficult decisions, (b) be prepared to truthfully<\/em> provide the basis on which you made them, and (c) explain why the decisions you made were in the best interest of Addison.\u00a0 Because in the end, being on Council is about doing what\u2019s best for Addison, not what is in the interest of individual councilmembers.\u00a0 And this is the fundamental disconnect that Meier and his cohorts exemplify with their \u201csound bite\u201d over substance approach to being on Council.\u00a0 There is no better example than Meier\u2019s no-opponent campaign piece about lowering the tax rate<\/em>.<\/p>\nPutting it simply, it is abjectly irresponsible for Meier to commit in advance that he will continue to cut the tax rate<\/em>.\u00a0 What Meier should be saying is that he will engage in a responsible budgeting process, that he will make sound decisions with respect to the tax rate<\/em>, and that he will honestly and thoroughly explain the basis for the positions he takes.\u00a0 After all, Meier is supposed to be doing what\u2019s best for Addison, not what\u2019s best for his next campaign.\u00a0 But then, doesn\u2019t it speak volumes that Meier continually feels the need to shade and mischaracterize the facts?\u00a0 In the end, Meier is remarkably incapable of having an honest dialog with Addison\u2019s residents, and that is a significant disservice to our Town.<\/p>\nNow let\u2019s talk about the consequences of the Meier-orchestrated single penny<\/em> reduction in the tax rate<\/em>.\u00a0 And, specifically, let\u2019s talk about what wasn\u2019t accomplished so that the average Addison homeowner would receive a $3.97 reduction in property taxes<\/em>, rather than an increase.<\/p>\nThe answer is simple: Meier and his cadre once again refused to repair Addison\u2019s embarrassing employee compensation problem.\u00a0 At Meier\u2019s hands, employee compensation has suffered markedly, with predictable results.\u00a0 Addison continues to lose employees, and has difficulty attracting new employees.\u00a0 Attrition in the police and fire departments has left Addison with earnest but unquestionably less experienced safety employees.\u00a0 It is difficult to attract qualified candidates for police and fire.\u00a0 In one instance, a job in the Finance Department sat vacant for almost two years, because it was impossible to find anyone willing to accept the inferior compensation package being offered.\u00a0 The fact is that it is impossible for Addison to compete for employees when they can move to comparable cities and make more money. And that\u2019s before you get to the intangible issues of the Meier-led culture of blame that has undermined confidence and morale amongst Addison\u2019s under-valued staff members.<\/p>\n
This past budget cycle gave the Meier-led and -dominated Council the perfect opportunity to address employee compensation. \u00a0They had information provided by a consultant who was hired to study Addison\u2019s employee compensation, including by comparing it to nearby benchmark communities.\u00a0 One of his conclusions was that Addison\u2019s employee compensation was, by and large, not even at the average of comparable employees in benchmark communities. \u00a0The consultant recommended more funding and a better defined compensation philosophy.\u00a0 Meier and his cronies on the Council ignored it all.<\/p>\n
After the initial draft budget was circulated, containing numbers as directed by Meier and the Council, the safety employees raised a ruckus.\u00a0 Meier received a very strongly-worded letter and realized quickly that he couldn\u2019t win a public relations battle with the police and fire departments.\u00a0 So he relented and directed the City Manager to add funding to the budget to bring safety employees to a position more closely resembling the average.\u00a0 But that left all the other employees behind, and that\u2019s where the single penny<\/em> comes in.\u00a0 Meier had the opportunity to maintain the tax rate and devote revenues from that one cent<\/em> to Addison\u2019s employees.\u00a0 He refused, and thereby created the misleading campaign \u201csound bite\u201d about lowering the tax rate<\/em>.<\/p>\nI served on Addison\u2019s Council for seven years, from 1992-1999.\u00a0 I found the experience interesting, challenging and sometimes gut wrenching.\u00a0 The Councils I served on worked together to do what was best for Addison.\u00a0 We argued and debated, but above all, we always committed ourselves to a positive deliberative process.\u00a0 I cannot think of a single instance in which I believed a member of Council voted a certain way because of an upcoming election.\u00a0 It was never about us, it was always about what was best for Addison.<\/p>\n
The Meier-led Councils have turned that model on its head, and this nonsense about Addison\u2019s tax rate<\/em> is a prime example.\u00a0 The Council could have and should have addressed the serious issues with employee compensation.\u00a0 They had the consultant that our tax dollars paid for telling them that they needed to do so.\u00a0 That single penny<\/em> in the tax rate<\/em> would have provided enough tax revenue<\/em> to make a big dent in the employee compensation problem.\u00a0 But for Meier, it was more important to create a campaign \u201csound bite.\u201d\u00a0 So, Meier led this Council to a different result.<\/p>\nTo say that Addison deserves more from Meier and this Council is an understatement.\u00a0 Meier and his circle of four have continued to make their time on Council about themselves, rather than what\u2019s best for Addison.\u00a0 In making his misleading statements about Addison\u2019s tax rate<\/em>, Meier continues his track record of misinforming Addison\u2019s residents.<\/p>\nAddison\u2019s citizens need to become more vocal in fighting back against Meier\u2019s tactics.\u00a0 On the issues discussed herein, we encourage Addison residents to attend meetings and demand to know why Meier would make such misleading and irresponsible statements, and why he continues to leave important issues like employee compensation unaddressed.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s demand a truthful and informative dialog from this Council, and decisions that reflect the best interests of Addison, not personal agendas.<\/p>\n
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