“We’re going to be OK” according to Chris Hoffman, the CEO of the Greater Redmond Chamber of Commerce, in reference to the Microsoft layoffs (Redmond Reporter January 28, 2009).
Perhaps in your world, Ms. Hoffman, but in reality, many are hurting.
In these difficult economic times, how has the Redmond City Council and Mayor Marchione supported the residents of Redmond? Well, our taxes are going up in 2009-2010 with a 1 percent property tax increase and increase in the water/wastewater utility rate.
However, the Business Head Tax will remain flat during the 2009-2010 time period. Today, Redmond business pays less than half of the equivalent tax in Bellevue.
The Mayor, city staff, citizens and the City Council went through a lengthy and expensive process called Budgeting by Priorities. They spent thousands of dollars on a consultant, thousands of hours of staff-citizen time and in the end they flat-lined the Head Tax for the next two years.
Is this the transparency and outcomes the citizens really wanted? Or is this just paying off a political debt? Despite the hard economic times, shouldn’t the tax burden be shared by all parties?
These are the questions you should ask the Mayor, City Councilmembers and Ms. Hoffman, who was personally selected by the Mayor to serve on the Budgeting by Priorities Guidance Team.
Per the mayor’s press release in February of 2008, the Guidance Team was given the following mission: The role of this team is to monitor our progress and confirm its integrity.
Redmond needs City Council members and a Mayor that represents the citizens and not just the business and development communities. This year three council positions are up for re-election. Hopefully, Councilmember Kim Allen (the brightest bulb in the pack) will run for another term. However, Council members Vache and McCormick should step aside. McCormick is in her sixth term (24 Years) and Vache — if elected — will be in his fifth term. Throw in Councilmember Richard Cole and you have another 26 years. Redmond and the Eastside are in desperate need of a new generation of leadership. Let’s take our cue from the national elections and boot out the tired, old, and entrenched status-quo and elect those who represent our diversity of backgrounds and ideas and know the difference between right and wrong.
More citizens simply need to give something back to their community. Run for Council, run for Mayor.
Jim Robinson, Redmond
