IS THIS REALLY THE BEST SOLUTION FOR FERNDALE'S PROBLEMS IN 2009?

The Ferndale city council led by Mayor Jensen plans to borrow $8 million without voter approval . The Council under the leadership of the Mayor recently passed a very complicated building switch/remodel authorization which would build a large new police station and a much bigger library.

This is the largest non-voter approved project since the sewage treatment plant - we are still paying for an over-sized facility. The tab for the new police station/library plan is $8 million and it will be paid for, in part, by a new tax on the two refuse companies headquatered in Ferndale.

As the Mayor has said in his 2009 State of the City Address, page 2 "the best green-built building is the one you do not have to build" - why does that not apply here? The Mayor goes on to assert on page 6, in referring to a future Ferndale Swimming Pool:

"As with the library project, a feasibility study will show us the path to follow in constructing a swimming facility:
Who will use it?
How much are taxpayers willing to spend?
How large should it be?
What will the costs be for ongoing maintenance?
How much will it cost to staff?
How much revenue will it produce?
Will we have to ask voters to form a recreation district for ongoing maintenance and operation?"

These are very good questions for any expenditure - were they asked in the proposed $8 million police/library swap?

In the Mayors own words "It would be a great project, but one that needs careful study and real costs that will be manageable for our citizen taxpayers to take on." Should this apply to any city project including the police and library swap?

In these economic times every penny counts -especially when it is ours.

Please attend the PUBLIC MEETING SEPTEMBER 14 - 6:30pm Central Elementary School Gymnasium.

Attend the City Council Meeting Tuesday September 8 - 6:00PM.