Snarky McSnide Says, Ballot Question #4

Voting on the Sanford Amendments

Ballot Question #4

At the August 28 election, Sanford voters are being asked to raise the salaries of the Mayor and City Commissioners.  Sanford already pays its elected officials more than any other city in the county.

Not only that, but the way the item is worded, they will never have to take the heat from the taxpayers again.

If you live in Florida, you can expect your local government, county or city, to put more houses next to you.  Or to tear down old neighborhoods and put up multistory condos. If a developer has approval for a plat with 50ft wide lots, all he has to do is say he can make more money if the City will let him cram more houses onto 40ft lots, thank you very much.

The citizens can protest but most of the time it does little good in the long run.  Rarely does an elected official stand with the citizens very long.

The Reason

It is the way County Commission pay is calculated.  If you read the supporting information for Ballot Question #4, it becomes clear.  It shows how much the Sanford Mayor and Commissioners will be paid based on a modification of the formula the County uses. The way it will work is the more people that are stuffed into the City, the more the commissioners get paid.  They get rewarded for more people.

If Sanford voters approve Ballot Question #4, the City will adopt the modified County formula to determine their pay.  City voters will have no say in the future about the City pay scale.  The Mayor and Commissioners are hoping you don't notice what they are doing.

In addition, there is a drastic change proposed as to how expense reports are figured. It is mind boggling.

They can't find money for adequate police protection but they can find a way to pick the taxpayers' pockets to line their own.

Save yourself some money and protect your lifestyle, vote No on Ballot Question #4.