Sierra Madre: It's Raises for Everybody All Over Again (Or: Did you hear the one where the city says it can no longer afford to fight mansionization?)

When Utility User Taxes were on the ballot in 2016, the word going around town from those claiming they needed the dough was that spending at City Hall had been cut as deeply as it possibly could, and that a firm hand would be guiding spending going into the future. Business as usual would no longer be an option in Sierra Madre.

It was also claimed that the money would be needed to rescue certain venerated at risk city institutions, the most famous of them being the Library. A 10% UUT forever tax would take care of such things. No, really. That is what they said. Though those holding positions of responsibility don't recall much about that now.

Remember, this was way before certain downtowners began advocating for the sale of the property the current Library sits on, or even seeking more money in the form of parcel taxes. Things that were somehow not discussed on any of those many informative "Yes on UUT" postcards sent out in early 2016. Which were mostly paid for by the same people now getting raises.

After all, this was the tax increase that was going to take care of just about everything. However, it was not quite the everything you were told about.

So let me ask you this. Have you heard any more lately about the urgently needed repairs to the Library now that those famous survey cards revealed only a relative few people outside of City Hall want to sell the property for several millions of dollars?  No, neither have I. That one has now grown rather quiet.

Apparently business as usual has become operational again. Even when it comes to capitulating on mansionization, which wasn't at all about the fees and other money the city anticipates getting. No, really. They haven't even added it up yet. That is what they are saying.

At Tuesday evening's City Council meeting it will be raises for just about everyone. It must be peace in our time all over again, to paraphrase Enid Joffe. Here are some curated passages from the relevant staff report, which you can access in its entirety here.

Why yes, of course. So, did you hear the one where the city claims it cannot afford to fight mansionization any longer? But can hand out raises to its employees?

Obviously they've picked their spending priorities. Or perhaps the concerned municipal employee organizations have already chosen them on their behalf?

It's getting kind of hard to tell.

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