The city raised the property tax to make up for a $348k shortfall of an $18M budget. I want to return the money to the taxpayer.
Several years ago, the city voted to increase the millage rate as stated. When it was brought up that they should borrow the money from the city savings account, the mayor stated that you do not borrow money to make up such a deficit. That is exactly what a fiscally responsible leader would do, it was a short-term deficit and the city should have either found a way to reduce the spending or borrowed the money from savings. Interestingly enough, a few months after they raised the tax rate, the city manager located an additional $1M. I want to reduce the rate over the first 4 years I am in the office back to where it was. That without reducing safety by 1 penny.