Windcrest Fire Dept Bond Info

   
Councilman Shelton proposed $2 million for a ladder truck be added to his motion for 7.4 million steet repair bond.

He then asked the Fire Chief if you could buy a ladder truck for$2 million.  The answer was yes.  Motion passed.. 

   Yes, you can spend $2 million on a ladder truck, it all depends on the configuration and options you order for a ladder truck.  Ladder trucks are available with a mulititude of optional equipment and various configurations.  The FD never got a quote at all.

The FD was not asked to provide the options they deem necessary for a ladder truck, which then you ask for quote.  That would be the basis for the Bond amount. 

  In previous years the Volunteer Fire Association (the fund raising arm) raised money to purchase fire trucks.  The last Fire Truck purchase was $600,000, the Fire Association provided $300,000 and the city provide the other 50%.

 The "Three" fired the Volunteer Fire Association and approved the "Bugle Crew" to do the fund raising.  For the past two years a total of less than $30,000 has been collected

  The  "Three" on council have refused to allow the Volunteer Fire Association to do ANY fund raising.  No Picnic, No Gala, and Christmas is just around the corner. 

  The Volunteer Fire Association could raise sufficiant funds to purchase a ladder truck in a very short order.  The "Three" are dead set on Bonds to place the city in debt.

  A Flyer is being proposed
Q. If the Bonds pass will my ad valorem taxes increase?
A: Yes.  minimum of  .1138 cents per 100 evaluation. 
    (The total would be aprox $227 Tax Increast on a 200K home, $169 of that for 20 Years)

The projected Bond interest rate was estimated to be 4.5%  Yet the example provide that shows the project tax increase was based on 4.0%  Bond Interest rate.  At the low end of 4% Windcrest would pay $5,000,000 Million in Interest!   

The Fire Department will need a Ladder Truck, but the process needs to be approached properly, not pulling numbers out of a hat. 

 Remember, the Volunteer Fire Association (fund raising arm) has been denied Fund Raising for TWO YEARS, by City Council.

  Hopefully the new council seated in Nov will approve the Volunteer Fire Association's agreement and by-laws so they can have a successful Christmas Fill the Boot drive and raise funds for a new Ladder truck.  Even a short term lease on a small ladder truck would be better than long term DEBT.

Vote NO on the Street Bond,

Vote NO on the FD Bond.

There are much better alternatives available.
 

 

Pay as you Go- Without Bonds

Vote NO on Propositkon 1, Street Bond.  Read the suggested alternative outlined below.

	Alternative to Bond
$550,000.00	Normal street fund each year.
$250,000.00	Decrease WEDC by 1/8%
$200,000.00	Gary Cain's ibc bank cd
$675,000.00	Reduce current Dept spending by 10%
$736,958.00	Ad valorem received by adding the .11 cents like the Bond would have
$60,000.00	Projected Increased sales taxes due to Qtrip etc
$50,000.00	increased property tax new construction
$1,971,958.00	Available for Streets year 1

Note the $736,958 is the NET gain of adding the .11 cents as if Bond was in place.

That’s nearly $2,000.000  Milion Dollars in year 1 WITHOUT a Bond.

Remember, the proposed Street Bond is $7.4 Million for 20 YEARS that will cost $4 Million in INTEREST alone.  That’s $4 Million we can use to repair streets without the Bond.  Vote NO

The Auditor’s report has a section on City Debt.  The Auditors stated Windcrest has debt.  Large sums of dollars are deducted day one of each budget year to pay for Leased items.  That is Debt Folks, the Auditors detailed the debt in their report.

Our Debt Free city has $91,100 deducted day one of each budget year for the Leased Park Lighting.  That will be paid off in 2021.  So add this $91,100 to the Streets.

Our Debt Free city has $42,000 Leased Street Sweeper, annual payments day one of budget year.

Approving the Volunteer Fire Association By-Laws and Agreement will enable the Fire Association to resume collecting funds for Fire Department Equipment.  Remember, this was placed on Hold for all of 2017 and 2018.  This was a very costly needless delay by the council majority.  Had the VFA been allowed to continue fund raising in 2017 and 2018 they could have easily raised sufficient fund for a replacement ladder truck.  

Remember, this Fire Association donated $300,000 towards the last new vehicle purchased by the Fire Department.