Proposed Fire Dept budget cuts

[oneforone]

All I can say is that I am glad I live in Midwest City now. Home and Renters insurance rates are about to skyrocket in Midwest City.

They need to change the city's slogan to

Welcome to Oklahoma City


We're buying lots of new shiny things just to impress all you wonderful people who don't live here.

Just please be careful during your visit we tossed out all those uncessary things like fire trucks, police officers and ambulances.

[rcjunkie]

The only problem is that when you deannex area, as soon as theres major problems (sewer lines, water lines, street repairs, mowing public properties, etc, they most often go running back to the city begging for help.

[rcjunkie]

All I can say is that I am glad I live in Midwest City now. Home and Renters insurance rates are about to skyrocket in Midwest City.

They need to change the city's slogan to

Sad, some will never give up.

Oh well, I'm off to Tenkiller, everyone be safe and have a Great Weekend!!

[Larry OKC]

MAPS 3 isn’t even being collected yet. If MAPS3 monies could fix this problem, it could only be done through the issuance of bonds, which I believe is not even possible due to the way MAPS is structured. Anyhow, one thing has diddly squat to do with the other.

Again with the non sequitur.

You just won’t quit with that BS, will you?

Bonds and other forms of indebtedness are authorized under MAPS 3:

Ordinance 23,942: § 52-23.4. (d) (7) If deemed necessary or appropriate by the City Council for cash-flow purposes, for the payment of principal and interest on and the costs of issuance of bonds, notes, lines-of-credit, or other evidences of indebtedness issued by a public trust with the City as its beneficiary for the purpose of providing a City capital improvement.

As discussed at least a couple of times in other threads, there is nothing in the Ordinance tying it to the “proposed” 8 MAPS 3 projects mentioned in the Council’s Resolution of Intent. As long as it fits into the very vague/generic/all encompasing definition of “capital improvement”, there doesn’t seem to be any real limitation on what they can spend the money on.

It looks as though they are already spending M3 money to save F & P positions in the Mid-year budget cuts. Thats what the article says. Does it not? I don’t know how that can be.

Earlier articles said that the Council was putting off the decision to use the MAPS 3 Use Tax, but this article does indicate that they did come to an agreement. Does anyone have another link that verifies this article?

As far as committing MAPS 3 Use Tax money, it may not have been spent yet (since it hasn’t even started to be collected yet) but may just be an earmarking of it as soon as it does start (April 1). But then again, they may have borrowed the money and are going to pay it back with the Use Tax (they borrowed millions to start the Ford improvements months before a single penny had been collected).

Cool! I didn’t realize maps 3 has a 17 mill contingency built in. Just went to City of Oklahoma City | Public Information & Marketing and looks like it is. If the city has any kind of shortfall it appearantly can use these funds for whatever they need to. I’d say that would classify. Hope this helps.

Yes, it does have the $17M fund (was fairly widely reported when the projects were announced). However that is only 2.2% of the MAPS 3 budget and the City readily admits projects go an average of 8% over. Take into consideration, not a single MAPS project came in under budget and as a group, came in 47.75% over what voters were told right before the vote. Will the $17M be enough? Doubtful.

Big D Misey, that contingency fund is equal to the amount they are short on the practice arena, coincidence, I think not!

Actually the Practice Facility is UNDER budget (costing about half of what was originally earmarked for it in the Ford tax (3 months of the 15 months tax). Reportedly, the Ford improvements themselves are short about that amount though (don’t have the exact amount handy). And as someone else pointed out, they are looking at the remainder of the Ford improvements to see where they can cut costs to make up for the shortfall.

I’m sorry if i’m misreading it, but the article referenced above by kevinpate, quoting bkmb545, said in part:


Midyear budget cuts approved Tuesday by the Oklahoma City Council will mean 37 fewer jobs and reduced services, and will require the city to dip into its contingency funds.
-and-
All departments were asked to cut 2 percent from their budgets, although council members dipped into MAPS 3 use taxes to prevent layoffs for police and firefighters.

I may be reading that wrong, but isn’t it saying the city dipped into the Contingency money collected off of taxes to prevent a higher percentage of cuts?
Help me out here!

The City has various contingency funds they can pull from (not to be confused with the contingency amount set aside in MAPS 3). Also note that of the 37 positions cut, only one person is actually losing their job. The other positions are currently vacant (probably due to the hiring freeze that has been in effect).

[Mikemarsh51]

Midtowner, yeah, what Larry OKC said!

[Wambo36]

If it does, it does. If my insurance goes up, perhaps I'm saving somewhere else.

Let me know where your savings are coming from if you find any.

I agree, you should be able to deannex, as long as that means the city has no obligations to the deannexed areas, and as long as they are on the outskirts. That's probably beyond my knowledge or capabilities to correct, however.

[BigD Misey]

Understood!

[Wambo36]

The only problem is that when you deannex area, as soon as theres major problems (sewer lines, water lines, street repairs, mowing public properties, etc, they most often go running back to the city begging for help.

While I can see that happening, the area in question wanted to deannex because they had a commitment from another city to provide water lines, sewer lines, etc. if the city of OKC would allow them to deannex.

[okcsmokeandfire]

All I can say is that I am glad I live in Midwest City now. Home and Renters insurance rates are about to skyrocket in Midwest City.

They need to change the city's slogan to

Be glad that you live in Midwest City. Your city had an ISO rating of a 1. That puts them in the top handful of cities in the United States. A 1 is the top. Your insurance rates should be just fine.

Thats exactly what the OKC slogan should read, lol. Good one.

[okcsmokeandfire]

Be glad that you live in Midwest City. Your city had an ISO rating of a 1. That puts them in the top handful of cities in the United States. A 1 is the top. Your insurance rates should be just fine.

Thats exactly what the OKC slogan should read, lol. Good one.

refer to quote #26

[okcsmokeandfire]

I'm not really sure why it's the city's duty to decrease people's property insurance. I actually think the city should be deannexing these rural areas. If people want to sprawl, let them do so outside of the city limits. I find it hard to believe that the property taxes being collected in underpopulated areas equals the cost of providing city services. I lived in Deer Creek for awhile, and we had to pay for fire protection out of our own pocket at the time. I figured it was the cost of choosing to live out in the boondocks. I got really tired of the drive, really quickly, and acreage is vastly overrated, IMO.

Instead of deannexing the rest of the city, why dont we deannex downtown OKC. You guys can have the mayor, the city manager and all the rest of his right hand men as well as city adm. You can call your city whatever you want.

Lets have a big contest to give your city a new name, The Metropolis, Gotham City, Big League City, anything but Oklahoma City, that will be our name.

You can manage your own tax revenue and priorities however that you choose.

We will take the rest of our city, including its employees and its tax revenue and run it how our citizens best see fit.

Oh yea, dont count anymore MAPs money from us. You guys and your new city will all be on your own. You can have MAPS, you will just be paying for it yourselves. Good Luck. Man that sounds like a hell of a plan.

I had better get to work on this....

After you line out our Medical Director, we need to sit down and come up with our new city boundary lines.

I was thinking Western to Eastern, from SE and SW 15th to NE and NW 23rd.
That will give you 2 or 3 fire stations, and a police station, if you think that you will need them, if not let me know I will take those guys and employ them in our city. Oh, by the way, there will be no mutual aid agreements, you either have fire and police services or you dont.

Think about it, gotta go for now,
The guys are getting hungry and are focused on the Jerry Springer show,
Gotta go, cook.

[MGE1977]

OKCsmokeandfire

Rest assured, if BETTS is for us, who can be against us?

Surely our protocols will be changed by her fancy.

[okcsmokeandfire]

Sorry, I stand corrected, the guys were watching old hockey game reruns on ESPN, they are so pumped about the upcoming hockey season. woo hoo.

Gotta go cut some taters...

Have a great day, everyone.

[betts]

That's what I'm hearing from people who know. Remember who's paying your salary. People drive by the volleyball games, the truck washing and know firemen, their wives and friends. Anti-MAPS3 rhetoric and the economy loosened a few lips of ticked off citizens.

[MGE1977]

I know this is tangental, but do "those who know" also know that it would be tough to find fireman playing volleyball before 1700hrs, or during a dedicated workout time (1.5 hrs/shift - negotiated) or on a weekend/holiday?

Playing volleyball is a relatively low impact sport with health bennies. Washing the rigs is essential to upkeep of equipment. I guess we should not cook and or eat at the station, and if we do (bought and payed for with our own money) I suppose we should eat gruel?

Why is it that loose lips only seem to hold season Thunder tickets (not the by-gawd "Loud City"variety either)?

I don't think we are begrudged the volleyball we play, nor the laps we run, the weights we lift, nor the cable we watch (after hours) because when we are called we show up as the best. What would you have your firefighters do?

[ewoodard]

Oneforone, I too live in MWC and have not heard of our rates skyrocketing. Where did you get your info? Just curious.

[Midtowner]

Wow.. some of you should quit your jobs. Really.

There are hundreds of folks who would be more than happy to take your place.

[MGE1977]

Wow.. some of you should quit your jobs. Really.

There are hundreds of folks who would be more than happy to take your place.

And speaking of non sequitur....

[Midtowner]

Premise: You feel like your job is too risky.
Premise: You feel like you are not valued.
Premise: You feel like your equipment is insufficient.
Conclusion: You should quit your job.

Perhaps you should go look up the definition of non sequitur.

[MGE1977]

Premise: You feel like your job is too risky.
Premise: You feel like you are not valued.
Premise: You feel like your equipment is insufficient.
Conclusion: You should quit your job.

Perhaps you should go look up the definition of non sequitur.

0-JACKWEED LAWYER IN NOTIME!

Its impressive, but I wonder how you corner? I'll ride this one a bit further boys.

At no point have we claimed to be devalued. As a department we know our place in society, below the pompass, and right in the middle of the blue collars. Yet respectfully we serve them both.

Our job is in no way too risky, at least not suprisingly so, because we are all cut from the same cloth, and willing to risk. Lawyers are much more risky what with their fast cars and closet leather fetishes, to say nothing of eternal damnation just for choosing the career path.

Some of our equipment is defficient, this is proven rather scientifically by the manufacturer's specified testing.

But we still show up because we love the job. I'm assuming that you do as well because constantly you bring your lawyer to a people discussion.

[Wambo36]

That's what I'm hearing from people who know. Remember who's paying your salary. People drive by the volleyball games, the truck washing and know firemen, their wives and friends. Anti-MAPS3 rhetoric and the economy loosened a few lips of ticked off citizens.

You might be suprised to know that you and your loose lipped friends aren't the only ones paying our salary.

[Mikemarsh51]

Midtowner, ouch MGE got fangs! Are you a lawyer yet? You should be by age 30 right? That's OK, I'm finishing a degree at 45. Keep your chin up, you'll get there eventually. Or is that a non sequitur too?

[MGE1977]

Midtowner, ouch MGE got fangs! Are you a lawyer yet? You should be by age 30 right? That's OK, I'm finishing a degree at 45. Keep your chin up, you'll get the eventually. Or is that a non sequitur too?

Mm,

As I see it, if it isn't written in Law jargon, it isn't in his realm of exprtise to understand. I think he's illegitimate, and maybe therefor cannot understand the words.

Whatever.

[Midtowner]

Are you a lawyer yet?

Yes.

[Mikemarsh51]

Midtowner, congrats! That's a new deal right?