June 20, 2006 > Advice to Fremont: Live within your means

by Peggy Gerling

The audacity of the Fremont City Council to again consider placing a utility tax on the November ballot even though it was previously rejected! Our gas and electric bills are already unaffordable without another tax added.

With budget woes the council should prioritize and fix potholes before spending a consultant fee to determine if it is feasible for the Oakland A's to come to Fremont.

In spite of the purported financial dilemma, a new Deputy City Manager has been hired for $152,000 in addition to the present Deputy earning $170,000 plus the City Manager's salary of well over $200,000. Isn't this top-heavy management?

Citizens would be shocked to learn how many other employees earn over $100,000 to $200,000 plus grandiose benefits and pensions. Many employees do not live in Fremont so, therefore, would pay no utility tax even though they [would] receive the benefits from it.

I worked for Fremont P.D. for 17 years at the inception of Proposition 13. The same old "poor mouth" rhetoric occurred way back then. Well, the city survived and it was business as usual.

All the new businesses at the Hub and Pacific Commons should be generating exorbitant sales tax to help offset the deficit but the council does not seem to mention this. Also, the Senior Center receives income from renting the facilities, charging seniors membership fees and keeps increasing the price of the meals.

This council does not seem to realize the average Fremont family does not earn an average of $110,000 which was their previous estimate. Perhaps we need a council which is on the level of the "little guy," and learns to live within its means. We seniors have learned how to do this.

Do not give this council more money to waste!

Peggy Gerling
Fremont