Questions that need answered!

[Mike B.]

Can someone tell me why our city commissioners (four of them) voted to spend over $300,000.00 of property tax money to lay concrete around the civic center?

Since the civic center is a "Why not Dodge?" project, why wasn't sales tax money used?

Aren't we also going to build a Special Event Center, so why use concrete when then C.C. will be obsolete?

When the bids for this job was proposed, the city never even sought bids
using asphalt. Why?

Are these four commissioners just lining the pocket of a friend with property tax monies?

[lurker]

There was a short comment in the Globe when that bid was awarded regarding asphalt and the contractor who could overlay it.

The short comment from the commissioner(s) was blah, blah, blah..... wrong contractor, blah, blah....

[Mike B.]

Well, I did a little checking and found out I was wrong, and when I'm wrong I'll be the first to admit it!

The cost to concrete our Civic Center parking lot is not $300,000.00. The correct amount is closer to $450,000.00 of property tax dollars. Sorry!!

I also did a little checking and found out that the City Commission can, at any time they want, use WND sales tax money to pay off the bond issued for the pouring of the concrete. (with the county commissioners ok)

Found out that the city staff reported to the commissioners ..."that the cost of asphalt is comparable to that of concrete." I have yet to check into that fact, but I believe that any tax dollars saved is better than not saving any.

The city staff recommended using concrete over asphalt because it would last longer and backed that statement up with the fact that fire trucks are so heavy, concrete would be better.

To that I say..."What?" Of course, I agree concrete will last longer but does that justify the cost, at property tax payers expense?

I also found out that Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City uses asphalt in their parking areas. Koch Arena in Wichita as well as the Kansas Colliseum uses asphalt for their parking lots. They will see more traffic in one day than the Civic Center will see in 5 years!

Wall-Mart, a multi-billion dollar company, uses asphalt. Maybe the people at these facilities and companies just don't know what our City Commission knows.

We should always be looking at the bottom line when it comes to spending tax payers money. Every penny does count! How do you think Wal-Mart got to be where they are today?

Two of our City Commissioners own businesses. Do they have concrete or asphalt in their parking lots?

Sometimes, it's way to easy to spend other peoples money!

In closing, I do have respect for all of our City Commissioners, but I do disagree with some of their decisions.

[Army_of_One]

....and to think, this is just ONE decision of many by the "leaders" of your community.....The great thing is that YOU the taxpayer voted these people to their positions to waste YOUR money. With all the needs of Dodge and a limited amount of resources EVERY dollar spent should be looked at....

[Mike B.]

Well, I'm going to answer my own question. One commissioner has an asphalt parking lot, the other has 90% concrete.

But the fact still remains, as Army_of_One stated, ..."EVERY dollar spent should be looked at."

[lurker]

CONgress critters would create an Oversight Committee to blame this on.

[pootsy]

Guys I am here to tell you, the best thing I ever did in my life was to move from Dodge City. It was time to move on. I remember a day I use to be proud to be from there, but those days are gone. I feel sorry for you all. Your home is gone and will be for along time. Sad but true. I think it's ridiculous to spend 300,000.00 or more to pave the Civic Center??? What the hell for? You all need to go to a City Commisioners meeting and ask questions. I can't believe you all voted for some of the jerks you voted for. But oh well, I am gone and I am not coming back. But I do like to chat with you all here.

[lurker]

We can be sure that approaching our commissioners about overspending on projects such as this will get a shrug from the commissioner(s) and a blanket comment telling us to talk to the City Manager or City Engineer or City Fire Chief.

Those employees realize they are beyond arm's length from the voting booth and respond differently than they would if they had to pass a voting test every few years.

This political model is used throughout the system and insulates the politician from direct responsibility or accountability.

[RCCI]

I have to say that most of the time that we have found that the cost of concrete pavement will be cheaper or equal in cost to Asphalt. Where we have an asphalt plant setting here in town that shouldn't be the case, but the cost won't be to far off.

I would agree with the question of why we are spending so much money on the Civic Center. If it is worth spending that much money on, then maybe we don't need the event center at all.

I didn't vote for the sales tax increase, not because some of the improvements were not need (some were) but because there was no Sunset clause on the Why Not Dodge tax money. You give our City leaders money like that (and we are talking a lot of money each year) they are never going to let it drop. They will find something to blow it on each and every year!

[Made in the USA]

Originally Posted by Mike B.

Well, I'm going to answer my own question. One commissioner has an asphalt parking lot, the other has 90% concrete.

But the fact still remains, as Army_of_One stated, ..."EVERY dollar spent should be looked at."

What I heard Mike, was that with the high oil prices presently, the concrete cost was comparable. Plus, the concrete would last longer. It seemed funny to me though, that they didn't replace the old curbing in the front.

Originally Posted by pootsy

Guys I am here to tell you, the best thing I ever did in my life was to move from Dodge City. It was time to move on. I remember a day I use to be proud to be from there, but those days are gone. I feel sorry for you all. Your home is gone and will be for along time. Sad but true. I think it's ridiculous to spend 300,000.00 or more to pave the Civic Center??? What the hell for? You all need to go to a City Commisioners meeting and ask questions. I can't believe you all voted for some of the jerks you voted for. But oh well, I am gone and I am not coming back. But I do like to chat with you all here.

Poots, that 450,000 bucks only allowed them to pour concrete around the front and a little way on the sides. That didn't allow them to pave the entire parking lot!