Just Say No to Taxes & Fees

Dear Mayor Gaulrapp,

When Harry Truman said, “The buck stops here,” he set the standard for those who would lead example.

Today, enterprises both public and private face critical financial challenges. If leaders expect their organizations to make sacrifices, it is incumbent on them to take the first steps. This should not be an option; it is part of the fundamental job description.

Sadly, our news is full of stories of leaders who continue to handsomely compensate themselves and their cronies while those they lead are called to sacrifice or sent out on the street. Just take a look at Honeywell’s David Cote’s multi-million dollar bonus in the midst of layoffs here in Freeport.

One wonders what would have happened if Louis XVI had voluntarily turned Versailles into a hospital, curtailed all extravagant royal expenditures, moved his family and courtiers into more moderate accommodations, and ordered the French aristocracy to follow his lead.

If our elected leaders expect belt tightening, they should first tighten their own belts. By setting the example, they can expect a more enthusiastic reception from their management team and at the collective bargaining table.

Incidentally, the personal sacrifices that leaders make should not be mere political posturing but part of a well planned strategy which rolls back all expenditures not critically detrimental to the core mission of their team and those they serve.

Here are suggested measures for such a plan:
1. Take a meaningful cut in pay, and have your staff do the same.
2. Clearly lay out the Core Mission of the City of Freeport, and use this to implement a restructuring of City Hall, to dramatically reduce staffing and expenditures. The Core Mission must include the following:
• Provide adequate police protection for Freeport citizens and their assets.
• Maintain fire protection at the existing ISO rating of 3 or better.
• Enforce the codes and standards set forth by the City Code, and state law.
• Ensure proper maintenance of City infrastructure.
3. City Hall should be focused on the Core Mission only. Everything else is either unnecessary or can be provided by others at lower cost to the public. For example:
• Cut outside consulting expenses completely!
• Seek out local talented volunteers (retirees, for example) to replace that outside consultation.
• Consolidate job functions, remove duplication in staff functions and avoid duplicating services already available from other organizations. Again, stick to the Core Mission.
• Work closely with the County and School District on an active program to combine purchasing and maintenance functions.
• Outsource any function not an integral part of the Core Mission.
• Reduce the time and cost of unnecessary legal cases which are not related to the Core Mission.

Mayor Gaulrapp, we are aware that the City is doing some of what is mentioned in this letter. However, we believe that the City has become seriously distracted from its Core Mission. If fact, the City has not clearly articulated or demonstrated that it has a clear strategy to overcome the financial difficulty it finds itself in today.

This distraction, this lack of strategic planning, this lack of leadership is the sole reason why you feel that the only solution is to raise taxes and fees.

Until you and your administration reduce overhead, duplication, and non-core mission items from the budget, we regard the raising of taxes and fees as an effrontery to the businesses and citizens of this community.

Sir, you may consider this our version of Martin Luther’s “95 Theses.” In point of fact, it is just good business.


Yours sincerely,


The Freeport Citizens for Professional Government