ABSTRACT: For the Cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey and Pacific Grove, statistics and per capita spending calculations are presented. While the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea has double and triple the per capita spending of Monterey and Pacific Grove, respectively, Carmel-by-the-Sea has closed, dilapidated, and/or unused historic, cultural and environmental public assets. A question about the current City Council’s responsibility to their constituents is asked.
CITY----------GENERAL FUND-----------POPULATION-----LAND AREA
Carmel--------$13.1 million(2007/08)---4,038-----------1.1 sq. mile
Monterey------$48.0 million2006/07)---30,161----------8.4 sq. mile
Pacific Grove--$16.5 million(2007/08)--15,305----------2.9 sq. mile
PER CAPITA SPENDING:
Carmel: $3,244
Monterey: $1,591
Pacific Grove: $1,078
COMMENTS:
The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea has double the per capita spending of the City of Monterey and triple the per capita spending of the City of Pacific Grove, yet the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea has, as follows:
• A closed community center (Scout House)
• A decaying and dilapidated National Register of Historic Places resource (Flanders Mansion)
• A dilapidated historic outdoor and indoor theatre (Forest Theatre)
• An unused public park (Rio Park)
• Poorly maintained streets, roads and avenues
• Absence of satisfactory Carmel Beach upkeep and maintenance, including inadequate restroom facilities along Scenic Road
• Absence of reforestation; more trees removed than planted
QUESTION: Given the preceding record, does the current City Council deserve citizen support or should current City Council members be voted out of office at the earliest opportunity and replaced with Carmelites committed to rectifying these grievous deficiencies and injustices?
3 comments:
Fiscal Malpractice! Fire the city manager, finance manager and end the careers of the incumbent councilmen and women and mayor!
Carmel's main problem in this regard is that the city council spends money unwisely on things like lawsuits in which the city is unlikely to prevail and on useless studies and reports, which are often redundent and more often ignored. Money is spent on outside contractors, who do a poor job or appear to be chosen, not for their competence, but for their willingness (or seeming willingness) to reach a conclusion that the city council, particularly the mayor, want reached. Around one and a half million dollars a year is spent by the city on the Sunset Center, which has become less and less beneficial to Carmelites. Other cities spend less per capita but undoubtedly get more bang for each buck spent. Money that should be allocated to equipment, real estate and street maintenance and repair is siphoned off for other things. Money that is badly needed to maintain parks, the beach and forest (including many trees on city property that are in hazardous condition) is spent on less important things that appeal more to city council members.Carmel is building up a large deficit of things undone or inadequately done that in the future will cost the city far more than if they were dealt with in a timely fashion. None of this will change as long as Carmel voters remain apathetic and fail to pay attention. As long as they believe what incumbents say when they are campaigning, as long as voters vote for incumbents because their names are the most familiar ones on the ballot, as long as voters fail to vote for competent candidates, who are interested in restoring the damage that has been done to the city, Carmel will continue to be badly managed in ways that will continue to hurt the business community and residents alike.
Carmel-by-the-Sea should be a shining city in the forest. Instead, we residents have been taken hostage by a government with copy cat itis fever. Sonoma has a film festival; Carmel-by-the-Sea has to have a film festival. Sun Valley has a book festival; Carmel-by-the-Sea has to have a book festival. Another city has live music; Carmel-by-the-Sea has to have live music. And on and on and on. If the council keeps up with its copy cat itis mentality, why would tourists bother to come visit an extinct, no longer unique Carmel-by-the-Sea?
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