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Some good answers to my tough questions on Lodi's finances


Monday, October 20, 2008 6:52 AM PDT

Comments (18 comment(s))

If you read this column last week, you'll remember that I proposed that the two incumbents in the Lodi City Council election, Bob Johnson and JoAnne Mounce, will easily win re-election.

I also indicated in that column that I thought Bob and JoAnne should answer a few questions prior to the election so we could all know what to expect. I also offered to put their answers in this column but fully expected that neither of them would reply. Well, I was wrong.

JoAnne Mounce called and offered to answer each of the questions. Here is what she said. (Councilman Bob Johnson did not respond to the column.)

  • Where is the $27 million that has been collected for replacements in the water and wastewater systems? She said it was used for operations because operations are running at a negative, and that it is not available for use for the replacements. She also said that because of this, increases in our water and wastewater rates might be on the horizon to pay for operations and the replacement program.

  • Since we are facing budget cuts, what do you propose gets cut? On this one, JoAnne suggested that Lodi go to a four-day workweek with 10-hour days. She also said that Lodi should go to "zero-based budgeting" which in essence means each budget starts at zero each year. It is her opinion that this will help eliminate waste. She also wants to use more restricted funds accounts so they cannot be stolen from. (See the water and wastewater replacement fund.)

  • Wal-Mart or not? She supported Wal-Mart last time but this time she doesn't like it, and she cannot support it based upon the environmental impact report that she has.

  • What is your plan for funding the water treatment plant? She said that city staff is supposed to present ideas, but she believes it will be funded through higher rates since new development, which was to pay for it, just isn't going to get it done in a timely fashion.

  • Lodi has the third or fourth highest electric rates in California. What will you do to reduce them? If your answer is nothing, will you at least increase the transfer to the general fund? She said that as long as the electric utility is stable financially, she favors increasing the transfer to the general fund.

    I applaud JoAnne for taking the time to answer these questions because she didn't need to do it. I am glad that she was honest about the replacement fund and the water and wastewater rates. This took guts. She was straightforward and honest, and for that she will get my vote.

    I am, however, bothered by why it took so long for someone, city council or staff, to be honest about this. Why didn't staff tell the city council that the money was being used for operations and that it wouldn't be available for the replacement program? My bill says it is being collected for replacement, so it is time, if nothing else, to just change the bill. Most of all, our city council needs to be more honest regarding our rates and what we pay for.

    On another note, tonight the Budget/Finance Committee will be meeting to consider and evaluate potential cuts in Lodi's budget. As I am sure you have read, the general fund budget needs to be cut by some $1.8 million, or about 4 percent. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at Carnegie Forum. I hope you can make it, because what the committee discusses will impact you.

    John Johnson, CFA, is a Lodi-based business appraiser. Contact him at john@johnejohnson.com or 369-1451.

    Reader Feedback

    El Rushbo wrote on Oct 23, 2008 2:48 PM:

    " Lodi needs to follow Stockton`s lead and make PD and FD employees take days off with out pay! If they don`t like it...too bad!! I`m sure most of them could retire right now and still make more than the average worker!!! "

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    LODI-LAW wrote on Oct 22, 2008 3:19 PM:

    " the reason why vallejo is busted is because the city employees (mostly public safety) refused to take a cut in pay or benefits. "
    So you dont think bad managment had anything to do with it? come on it doesnt take a genius to figure out we have the same poor managment problems in lodi, and then they want the employees to pay for their mistakes. Like i said you wouldnt ask other tax payers to take a pay cut for the mistakes of their voted in coucil who hires the managment. "

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    reality wrote on Oct 22, 2008 9:43 AM:

    " lodi law the big public safety pensions were granted by councils years before king came to town and the reason why vallejo is busted is because the city employees (mostly public safety) refused to take a cut in pay or benefits. "

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    LODI-LAW wrote on Oct 21, 2008 5:39 PM:

    " First off i am not a Lodi employee or law enforcment. And i do belive Lodi's public safty P.D. and Fire dept. will bankrupt this city just like Vallejo. The extreme benifits and salaries of these dept. will consume over 90% of the general fund in the next 5 years and then what? No more services like Parks, Water and Wastewater, Street maint. ect... I dont think employees are the ones to blame its the big cheese Mr. K!!!!!!! "

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    edumacation wrote on Oct 21, 2008 4:47 PM:

    " To LODI-LAW: I think we all need to applaud the LODI PD for enforcing VC pertaining to chin straps on bicycle helmets the CRIME WATCH tip for this week from Lt Piombo. You guys are also great at stopping those evil people who drive withoiut seatbelts fastened. yeeah! for the LPD. But what about all the known gangbangers? oops! I mentioned a sore spot. Lodi has been a safe haven for dopers and gang bangers for years. The Lodi stats for auto theft are tops in the USA. But why no arrests? hhhmmm? Is this a gang sanctuary city? What is the law that allows you to refuse to enforce anti gang laws? "

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    LODI-LAW wrote on Oct 21, 2008 3:22 PM:

    " Would you ask all people in Lodi with jobs to take a 2 hour pay cut? We all benifit from city services and city areas. So maybe general mills and Blue shield ect.. could take a cut also to help the city. The city workers didnt get them in this mess so why not everyone help pay for it? "

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    reality wrote on Oct 21, 2008 1:40 PM:

    " commonsense - nobody is talking about reducing police or fire protection but what if they took a small temporary pay cut to help ease the pain. what if they worked their 40 hour work week but only got paid for 38 hours. how much of a savings would that generate. nobody loses a job and the budget shortfall is reduced! "

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    commonsense1 wrote on Oct 21, 2008 12:19 PM:

    " Something tells me the citizens of Lodi would not vote to reduce fire or police protection. "

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    reality wrote on Oct 21, 2008 9:32 AM:

    " keep in mind that police is the largest $$$ dept in the city followed by fire. the executive branch is much lower on the food chain "

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    LODI-LAW wrote on Oct 20, 2008 10:19 PM:

    " the trough of the biggest eaters!

    My point exactly! Not the lower level city employees.

    No one has asked the city manager to take a pay cut or the city council who just gave them selves a 20%+ raise to help out the good of the city? "

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    reality wrote on Oct 20, 2008 4:25 PM:

    " sounds like you are overly sensitive lodi law. it is the truth that police and fire consume 60% of the general fund budget and have the largest and most lucrative pension plans of any city employee. where should the cuts begin if not at the trough of the biggest eaters! "

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    LODI-LAW wrote on Oct 20, 2008 3:46 PM:

    " Police and fire are whats eating up the general fund. So (reality) if you think other city employees/tax payers should take a day off without pay why dont you join and take a days worth of pay from your job to help out the city also? we are all tax payers and members of this citys resources. And the employees did take two weeks without pay last bad budjet time and no raise to help out to only see upper managment take big raises the next year. "

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    ZZ wrote on Oct 20, 2008 2:07 PM:

    " Think about all the comments made in this column This is why people in Lodi don't want C.C. or Blair King to handle Redevelopment money It never gets to where it should go and no accountabily
    to where it went. "

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    mp wrote on Oct 20, 2008 10:51 AM:

    " Everything is public information. If you want to see the water or sewer accounts, call the city clerk and ask for copies. CC has discussed this issue twice as public meetings. Why is everyone so surprised? "

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    reality wrote on Oct 20, 2008 10:23 AM:

    " why not see who is correct? you are assuming that the mayor has the right info. even if the mayor is correct i cant see where all that money went to. if the city dropped $27 mil somewhere else wouldnt it have set off some sort of buzzer? just because she says it happended isnt any guarantee that it did! "

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    Eileen St Yves wrote on Oct 20, 2008 10:00 AM:

    " What a sham!!
    I sent an e-mail to the city and council a few weeks back asking about this 27 Million dollars being paid by every ratepayer in the city. I received one response only and it was not from the Mayor.
    I have several e-mails from the city assuring me this money was still in the designated categories set forth by the city in October 2001. Now the mayor comes out and says ALL of the money has been used for operations, and the older portions of the city will not get their water and sewer lines replaced as the previous council in office promised.
    Any integrity this city has had, is non existant. "

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    reality wrote on Oct 20, 2008 9:59 AM:

    " please tell me what we save by having a 4x10 work week - a little electricity perhaps. police work 4x10 now and they are the most expensive dept in the city. with people being the most expensive item in the budget we have to have some sacrifice from the employees to make up the shortfall. how about everyone getting 1 day a month without pay? how much would that save? "

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    OTH wrote on Oct 20, 2008 8:55 AM:

    " John I'm not sure why you felt it necessary for only Joanne and Bob to answer those questions. Last time I looked there were 5 CC members. It's not like they all don't know what's happening. What's sad to me is the other 4 could care less about the people of Lodi. They feel no accountability to the citizens. They have their own little agendas and they are above the "sheeple."

    This info should have been made public a long time ago but comes as no surprise as the last 3 or 4 CC's have a history of robbing Peter to pay Paul, that's their style of management. "

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    Comments on this story are now closed.

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