Emotions ran high as Westminster residents expressed their outrage over increases in the property tax and water and sewer fees.
“You are bleeding us dry,” Ken Warren, of Pennsylvania Avenue, told the mayor and council.
Warren was one of several opponents to the proposed rate increases, which in part would fund higher salaries for city employees. The proposed fiscal year 2007 budget includes $555,375 for salary increases in lieu of cost-of-living and step increases.
“You are pitting employees against citizens. We are against your inefficiency and waste, not the employees,” said Pennsylvania Avenue resident Rebekah Orenstein.
“We have 165 employees. We owe it to them to make sure their wages are fair, just and reasonable,” said Mayor Thomas Ferguson at Wednesday?s meeting.
“We also owe it to our residents, so we can attract and retain the best people possible.”
City leaders pointed to the police department, which raised salaries this fiscal year and filled eight department vacancies, as proof that salary increases benefit the community.
“For the first time in 10 years, we have an African-American officer. We also now have a native-speaking Hispanic officer,” said Police Chief Jeffrey Spaulding.
Council President Roy Chiavacci argued that higher salaries will decrease the need to replace employees, which includes additional costs such as posting ads.
Council Member Robert Wack said he supported the mayor?s “moral argument for higher wages.”
But such arguments did not appease opponents to the rate increases.
“We are all under economic stress,” said Main Street resident Tom Smith.
He asked the council to reconsider the proposed budget, adding, “it will hurt you, if you run for re-election.”
“This increase will leave me with less than 10 percent of my Social Security check to feed my family,” Warren said.
He said the increases ? 15 percent for the property tax and 20 percent each for the water and sewer fees ? could not have come at a worse time, as they coincide with BGE rate spikes.
“You can?t take blood out of a turnip. Instead of building the town, you are strangling the town,” he said.
The official public hearing on the proposed tax increase is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the John Street Quarters of the fire company.
The public hearing on the sewer and water rate increases will occur at the normal council meeting, at 7 p.m. May 8 at City Hall.
