St. Helens Needs to Fund the Police…the Right Way
The current administration in St. Helens is scrambling to find new funding for the police department…but they’re looking in the wrong place. Those tempted to point to revenue shortages are unfairly blaming us, the taxpayers. The revenue is there. The real problem is the establishment leadership’s poor financial management and reckless spending.
The financial mismanagement of St. Helens under Mayor Scholl is pervasive and effects your pocketbook. Under Scholl, the City’s borrowing has ballooned in the last four years from $8 million to more than $40,000,000. $13,000,000 of this debt that you are obligated to pay, Mr. Scholl stated that he did not know was being borrowed! $2,000,000 of this borrowed money was wasted on drawings to build a police station in a flood plain! We all support the police, they do a great job. Imagine their disappointment this year to learn that the City does not have the money for the raises Scholl’s administration promised them! This was a quadruple whammy to the police: incompetence in borrowing, incompetence in planning, incompetence in financial management, and failures to keep promises to the men and women who protect us every day! In January the Police Union announced that they had unanimously voted “no confidence” in Rick Scholl and as that he resign. We cannot afford another two years under Scholl.
Earlier this year, the government tried to cram through a real estate tax scheme under the guise of essential police funding. They tried to preemptively quell pushback by claiming the proposed policy would only cost the owner of a $200,000 home around $138/year. As we’ve all experienced, taxes have a habit of ballooning year after year after year. Next, Scholl wants to raise your water bill. Under Scholl, your water bill already went up $10.00 a month for 30 years to payback a loan he did not know was being borrowed.
Together, the people of St. Helens overwhelmingly turned down what was effectively a tax on unrealized property gains. Instead of acknowledging the widespread backlash and changing course, current leadership resurrected the tax scheme less conspicuously. Through this move, the St. Helens government sent a clear message: “We don’t care what the people think.” They’ve completely lost touch with our desires.
What’s the newfangled plan? St. Helens’ leadership wants to start selling off hard assets such as land, buildings, and infrastructure to cover the police budget. There are a few crucial issues to this ploy. First and foremost, these are publicly owned assets that we’re holding onto for long-term growth. They’re not there for the city to pawn off in a fire sale to cover their fiscal incompetence.
The funds the government can squeeze from selling hard assets will dry up rapidly, leaving St. Helens in the same predicament but with fewer resources to fund the police. This quick fix is a recipe for long-term financial ruin.
Instead of burdening taxpayers, my plan for funding the police is part and parcel of my vision of ‘Smart, Slow Growth’. St. Helens has all the raw materials it needs to fund all public services. The key is tapping into those vast resources. Unlocking this community’s economic potential keeps our police funded while eliminating unnecessary taxes and protecting our community’s way of life.
How do we do it? My plan includes a waterfront revitalization project that opens up St. Helens for intelligent, sustainable business growth. This prime real estate would attract high-earning residents and profitable businesses, increasing the local tax base without increasing taxes on residents. We get to protect our local values without government overreach while ensuring our police are fully funded today and long into the future.
I’m tossing my hat in the ring to become St. Helens mayor to correct these misguided policies and realign public policies with the people’s will. My priorities are your priorities. You can help support common-sense police funding by volunteering or donating to my campaign today. Most importantly Vote for Steve Toschi on or before November 5!