Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/112475
Sarasota News Leader March 1, 2013 the connotations, but perhaps we���re going to have to look at a combination of those things. Maybe the commission discussion needs to be a little more intense. As much as people hate meetings, they need to take a deeper look. Page 18 Would you support a bond issue to cover the shortfall (as Fort Lauderdale did last November)? Atwell: Look I���m willing to take a look at everything, including the pros and cons of that. People in this community are getting wind [of the problems], and it���s coming out in the forums. So we���re trying to prepare you who live in this beautiful town, and it is paradise, [but] we���ve got some financial woes here. We���re not broke, but we need to deal with this. Taxes? A bond issue? I really hope the new finance director ��� because over the past several years we���ve had such tremendous trust in [retired Finance Director] Chris Lyons ��� I hope we can have that same level of trust. These are some new eyes on the finances, and perhaps just a different look at it will bring in some possibilities we had not thought of. And I go back to my earliAll of it should be on the table. We���re at bare er comment about utilizing what other cities bones. You want a good police force. You want have done. boots on the street. What are you willing to do? Isn���t it amazing the fear of taxes? ��� ��� ��� Pensions: Did we overpromise and un- Have you ever attended any of the three pension board meetings? der-deliver? Atwell: We kicked the can down the road, Atwell: Actually, no. the whole pension issue. Those were the days ��� ��� ��� when we didn���t pay them much but we protected them. It got way ahead of us, and we���re Pensions: did we overpromise and unnot alone. They were promised the moon and der-deliver? the stars. Chapman: We made a lot of assumptions that You bet we have to deal with this pension were not accurate, and we did overpromise. thing. Each commission cannot say, ���It���s not One assumption was an unrealistic rate of remy problem. I���ll be dead.��� turn. Another assumption is we like these people [e.g. staff] and let���s just reward them for Is a tax increase the answer to our promcity service on the assumption public sector ises? employees are paid less so they should get Atwell: That���s one of the answers. That is an more retirement benefits. That isn���t true. So answer, of course, because the way staff is yes, there were a lot of assumptions. now, how do we cut any more? And when will And there was not a lot of fiscal knowledge we do that? We���re having preliminary budget that was used in making these assumptions workshops soon, and you bet I���ll put everyand giving these benefits out. So the unfunded thing on the table. What���s the revenue stabililiabilities are a problem. zation fund [e.g. the reserves] look like? How do we consolidate? ��� ��� ���