[McBain II]

Originally Posted by RhettB

The raises were not in the 2012 budget is what the underlying issue was I believe. They were taken away from those who received them.

They were included in the 2013 budget. And where are you getting that the raises were "taken away"? The council doesn't have that authority and I could find no source saying the raises were taken away. Show me what you have.

Suttle's image is that he can be a snake in the grass that tries to do things behind the councils back. Had he just put them in the 2012 budget to begin with, there would likely have not been an issue with it.

You can't do anything "behind the back" of the council. Suttle might play politics and use loopholes to get things done, but...this is politics.

Another issue I have with Suttle was the wheel tax. I live outside the city limits and have to pay it. While I dot disagree entirely on paying it, there should be 2 tiers of the wheel tax. One for residents, and one for outside the city limits. Wheel taxes are used for the purpose that the tax denotes. However, as I do not maintain a residence within the city limits, I should not have to pay wheel tax to maintain residential streets. I would not object to paying a lower tax that accounts for that.

Fair point.

My 4 messages to the mayor's office when the tax expansion was being discussed went unanswered. My belief is that Suttle does not really care about people as individuals and just wanted the tax money.

What kind of answer were you looking for, specifically?

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

They were included in the 2013 budget. And where are you getting that the raises were "taken away"? The council doesn't have that authority and I could find no source saying the raises were taken away. Show me what you have.



You can't do anything "behind the back" of the council. Suttle might play politics and use loopholes to get things done, but...this is politics.

Fair point.

What kind of answer were you looking for, specifically?

Raises taken away with 2013 budget.

Omaha City Council Approves A "Fiscally Responsible" Budget - www.kmtv.com


In regards to the wheel tax questions I had, as far as an answer, a response of any kind. Or does the city ignore any and/or all feedback / suggestions it receives? Or did my opinion not matter as I am not really an Omaha resident only a tax source?

[Busguy2010]

I don't really comment on politics, but I sent Jim a proposal and he sent me back a personal letter. I wouldn't say his character is in question, but that's just my view.

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by Busguy2010

I don't really comment on politics, but I sent Jim a proposal and he sent me back a personal letter. I wouldn't say his character is in question, but that's just my view.

Glad he took the time to reply to you. My experience is on the opposite end of the spectrum.

[McBain II]

Originally Posted by RhettB

Raises taken away with 2013 budget.

Omaha City Council Approves A "Fiscally Responsible" Budget - www.kmtv.com

That's a bit of a misnomer. They didn't (nor do they have the authority to) take away the raises. What they did do was reduce the Mayor's budget. He could have made changes elsewhere in his budget to cover the raises and nothing could have been done about it.

Regardless, end result was the same, and thank you for finding the story for me.

In regards to the wheel tax questions I had, as far as an answer, a response of any kind. Or does the city ignore any and/or all feedback / suggestions it receives? Or did my opinion not matter as I am not really an Omaha resident only a tax source?

Without knowing specifically what you asked, it's hard for me to say why you didn't get a response. As others have mentioned, they have received responses so it could have been as simple as something that they felt had been adequately addressed already or simply a lack of time and capacity, as I imagine they were flooded with calls and letters at that time.

[RhettB]

Originally Posted by Bosco55David

That's a bit of a misnomer. They didn't (nor do they have the authority to) take away the raises. What they did do was reduce the Mayor's budget. He could have made changes elsewhere in his budget to cover the raises and nothing could have been done about it.

Regardless, end result was the same, and thank you for finding the story for me.



Without knowing specifically what you asked, it's hard for me to say why you didn't get a response. As others have mentioned, they have received responses so it could have been as simple as something that they felt had been adequately addressed already or simply a lack of time and capacity, as I imagine they were flooded with calls and letters at that time.

I asked what I more or less stated in regards to the wheel tax, and that was in regards to having 2 tiers of the tax. Which was not addressed by the mayors office when they were discussing expanding the tax to go outside the city limits.