David Bryan Rowlett

Fredericksburg’s City Council has been plodding through a difficult budget process this spring, working under the reality that it may have to raise the tax rate by 5 cents next year while at the same time cutting some services.

But in the public discussions that have gone on in the mayoral race between Debby Girvan and Tom Tomzak, there’s been much more talk about last spring’s budget process.

Last May, Tomzak and four other council members voted for a 53-cent real-estate tax rate, which was 3 cents higher than what would have been the equalized tax rate after last year’s reassessment.

Girvan and Councilman Hashmel Turner both voted for a 50-cent rate.
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I’m cooking up a brilliant idea for a new model of city government.

I say cooking because, like the model I’m about to present, there are no firm rules involved and all facets of the plan are subject to change depending on what mood I’m in, whether I’m running for office soon and how big my ego is.

The recipe, until I change my mind, goes something like this:

First, we start by electing a few people to a city commission who have axes to grind, especially against those pesky top administrators who can’t seem to make their 700 employees act perfectly all the time. What, did they skip the day they taught omnipotence in Public Administration 101?
Read more about what Eric has to say at Battle Creek Enquirer