More?
Many attended last night’s special council meeting regarding the 2007 budget. The outstanding point of this meeting was that both sides of the issue were able to voice opinions. I will not say that is was always calm, when you are passionate about something it is difficult to keep an even tone. However, everyone present walked out knowing that to keep Montrose thriving we need growth of the community!
Discussion was held on how that occurs…through community unity and customer service. Many people brought up how important unity in a small town like Montrose. One friend, writes often in her blog that” it takes a village”. That was discussed too. Why can we come together to help one family but when your neighbor on main street makes a buck, we are envious!!
I will be the first to say that Day Care is not a very profitable business. However, using knowledge from years of experience, the day care is on track to be in the black. By hundreds of dollars?? Probably not, but enough to make do, yes. And what if the Day Care does make money? It will only benefit the city!
More children, more familes, more growth, more Montrose. Who doesn’t want more for our village?
posted by April
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Last nights meeting was very educational and coffee at the Pub this morning was even more enlightening.
Here is what I learned and this is going to be a challenge for all of us. OPTIMISM AND EDUCATION…..FROM NOW ON (should always be) the focus of dealing with this initiative.
Now there are going to be some challenges and this is going to take a lot of hard work in order to keep the daycare if this initiative comes to a vote of the people.
After being at the Pub this morning I learned that concerned members of the community think that there taxes are going up $86.00 because of the posters that are hanging up in town.
I advised one woman for accurate number to contact the city for correct information.
I understand that some people want to meet to start a plan of education for the community. This is a great step and I am very happy about this. This is going to be a very difficult job meaning there are 150+ doors that need to be knocked on to explain our side and the ramifications of the election if it comes to that. Be prepared and willing to volunteer and follow through. So many ideas get brought to the table and never followed through on.
Running the daycare, leasing the Office Bar Building and operating the pool and campground are all “businesses” of the city that are operated as a SERVICE for all members of the community.
I am only guessing but I would say that only “business” that makes any money is the lease of the Bar building and that is still probably minimal. The Pool operates in the red every summer but think of what ir provides:
sorry I hit enter by accident before I was done.
physical activity/exercise and develops social skills to name a few. We get people from several communities that come to us every summer which i would think that would bring other money in to the community.
When running a business you have to keep an eye on the month to month activities but the bottom line is how you end up at the end of your year and I really think that with the current director at the daycare we will have a positive end. Growth takes time and that is what needs to be understood.
Thanks for the opportunity to speak….Charla
Great comments. Thanks everybody for playing. Really sorry I had to miss the meeting last night–I’m on the road all the rest of the week for work. Sounds like it was a good discussion.
Sorry to hear there is misunderstanding about the poster. Maybe we should print out the “quick facts” page and the economic impact page and distribute copies up town for coffee? April, could you do this?
Thanks again to everybody who is reading and posting comments. Please don’t be bashful with posting–I want to hear both sides of this story…
Joe, can you link mcdaycarefuture.wordpress.com to this soundboard? Thanks!
The following is the presentation Melanie Fiferlick gave at the special City Council meeting 9-26-06:
First let me say my intentions are not to close the daycare, but rather make the City council take notice that we, as taxpayers, are unhappy about paying for a service that only benefits a few who live inside city limits. As I was making phone calls on the 12th of September before the last meeting, I had several seniors ask me to get a petition up against the daycare. One more person, who brought up the petition, is a city council member. I happen to know several of you, on the concil do not believe our tax dollars should be paying the bills at the daycare.
Joe Bartman made a visit to me the other day. In his blog he says I yelled at him. Well, I guess I should have yelled some more, because he didn’t even get the petition straight. My petition will not close the daycare. It will bring to a vote of the people whether or not the taxpayers keep paying the bills for it. I can’t even float the petition until after you approve the 2007 budget.
About two years agao, I came to you and asked you to lower my taxes and you wouldn’t do it. You referred me to Joe Bartman. I had several meetings with Joe and each and every time he would tell me, “If you’re not making any money, you should close the doors.” So, I ask you, why is this any different for the daycare? In 2004 the daycare lost $5187.96 and in 2005 it lost $669.47. I have asked for the records for 2002 and 2003, but I was told, the records are too horrendous. That may be true but there has to be records. So far, for 2006, I have been given three reports and they all have a different dollar amounts. On Joe Bartman’s blog, there is a different figure, yet! I know for a fact workmen’s compensation has not been paid yet this year. Workmen’s comp last year for the daycare was $1303.84, for 2004 it was $1898.02.
I have been told that in the next 2-3 years, we are facing an opt out on our taxes. I understand that it is the responsibility for the taxpayers to educate our children, but it is not our responsibility to provide them with daycare at the taxpayers’ expense.
I called the Social Security office last week and I asked them for the cost of living raises for the last several years. In 2002, the cost of living raise was 2.6%, in 2003 it was 1.4%, in 2004 the raise was 2.1%, in 2005 it was 2.7% and in 2006 it was 4.1%. So, in 2005, on a $400 Social Security it increased $8.40 per month. At the same time, they usually always raise the cost of Medicare insurance. That same year you (the council)raised the water bills more than that per month. Now, take into consideration that MidAmerican Energy has raised their rates and look what the price of gasoline has done. Are we trying to force our seniors into apartments?
The majority of the seniors out there were stay-at-home moms. Their Social Security might be even less than $400 per month. They raised their children and now they’re paying as taxpayers for daycare for families in whom both parents work. In the households where both parents are working, I’m sure they are making at least $400 per week and possibly twice that. So, we expect our senoirs to pay for a service that they have never used and never will, with their tax dollars. There are so many more places those tax dollars could be used that would benefit more people than just a few families. I say those who are using the facility should be the ones to pay the bills. To keep the daycare open, all they have to do is raise their rates.
Everything in this town is for the kids. We’ve spent lots of money on the parks. We have fund raisers for the pool. We have cut police protection to pratically nothing.
Joe says the daycare brings over $300,000 per year in revenue to town. I don’t believe it. Go down town and talk to the merchants on Main Street. They will tell you they are all struggling to stay alive. Futhermore, ask them what their sales were last year. I’ll bet of the four merchants left on Main Street, their sales don’t even total $300,000 per year. We can’t even keep a gas station open! Are you aware that sales tax revenue for August 2006 was down 25% from August 2005?
We pay higher water and sewer bills than Sioux Falls. Our taxes are higher than Sioux Falls. So, why isn’t the daycare charging Sioux Falls’ rates for daycare and preschool? Once again, all they have to do is raise the rates.
There has been nothing done to the streets for over two years. They needed to be chipped and sealed last year. Another summer has come and gone, and still they are not chipped and sealed. Soon there won’t be anything left of those streets to chip and seal. But, we have money to pay the bills at the daycare.
The “transcript” from the City meeting is interesting, and makes me even more sorry I coudn’t be there to hear it first hand (and maybe offer a few corrections). First, I want all to know the previous comments was not posted by Melanie. I can’t verify if any of it is accurate or not, though I would ask the commentor to let us know who you are. I’d also ask that any future comments be first hand, from you–the comment poster. Let’s not post comments here in someone else’s name, OK.
If the above comments are the real thing and can be verified, then I’ll set strait a few of the things that were said about me…
I don’t have a dog in this race. I live in Salem. That’s where I pay the majority of my property taxes. Although, I do pay property taxes in the city of Montrose, I am not a voter here. Anyone that knows anything about me should know that I don’t have any qualms about voicing my opinion on an issue and don’t need to hide behind someone else’s persona to do so.
I typed for Melanie at her request because she does not have internet access, but never impersonated her or masqueraded as her or anyone else. She asked if I would type the address that she had given the city council. She brought it to me all written out in her own words. I merely acted as a neutral transcriptionist for her. In fact, she stood over my shoulder and proof-read the entire post before it was submitted. If you are interested in the accuracy of what was written, please discuss this with Melanie.
We often do research for people who do not have internet access – this has ranged from motel rentals, mapping, auto parts & prices, antiques & collectibles, airline tickets, codified laws, financial assistance for prescription drugs, etc. If there is anyone else without internet access or who is having difficulty posting, as long as I have time, I will act as a typist for you.
Thanks Kris for your helpfullness! Didn’t mean to sound harsh with my previous comment–I just want to be sure no one posts rumors. That is really important to this discussion. It just was not written in a first-person perspective, so that sounded an alarm for me. So, thanks again Kris for your helping hand, and I hope folks take you up on your offer for future help. I’d be interested to hear your opinion on the daycare too…
I’m really glad you decided to make a post, Melanie. Thanks. It’s been a pretty one-sided discussion on this blog so far, and that has not been my intent. Everyone is welcome to the discussion!
I have tried to simply supply facts up to this point. I have verified with both Jerry Lammers, the City Attorney and Deene Dayton, State of South Dakota Legislative Audit, that, if there is an election and the vote is to strike the line item in the 2007 Budget Ordinance that pays expenses for the Daycare, that NO checks or expenditures can be made for the Daycare effective January 1, 2007. It has nothing to do with any income from the Daycare. All income goes into the City General Fund. All expenses are paid from the City General Fund. No payments for the Daycare would be allowed. The Daycare would close at the close of business on December 31, 2006.