Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Yard Waste Cart Fee

The implementation of these changes was not taken lightly but a necessary decision in order to keep providing all of the services. When these changes were made, 1/3 of the households in Kernersville had a roll out yard cart. The means that 2/3 of the households did not have a cart and therefore did not use the service. Most likely those households pay a lawn care company to maintain their yards or haul the yard waste away themselves. It seems fair for the households that use the service pay the $60 fee. This way the service is not eliminated but only those who use the service pay for the service. Bulky items were being picked up weekly, in an effort to reduce cost the change was made to pick up those items once a quarter. Less than 1/3 of the households have an extra waste cart and again only those who choose to have an extra cart pay.

Recession and the impact on Kernersville

The recession has impacted families and businesses in Kernersville; some more than others. The Town of Kernersville, like a business has also experienced the loss of revenue, and has made the appropriate cuts in both operating costs and capital purchases. In the FY 10-11, the operating budget was reduced over $600k dollars from the submitted requests. This year, FY 11-12, the operating budget was cut an additional $ 400k dollar.
The current budget eliminated positions and froze other positions. Employee benefits have been reduced in some areas to help reduce costs and overtime has been drastically cut. The capital purchases have taken huge cuts the last two years. In the current budget, resurfacing, and a large number of equipment replacements were eliminated. We also implemented minor changes to some services to help reduce cost. Just like in your home or your business the Town has cut back and we are working hard to stay lean while still providing our citizens with excellent service.

Obstacles for Kernersville

My biggest concern this year is the Town’s Sales and Use Tax and Property Taxes. These are the two main sources of revenue for the Town and both have fallen over the past couple of years. I would love to see private sector growth that would increase our revenues, but it appears that it may take a little longer for the economy to recover. Another concern is the possibility of the state withholding funding. Did you know that 30 % of the Town’s revenue comes from other government resources? If these funds were to be held at the state level, or a portion of them held at the state level, this could cause enormous issues for the Town. As with your budget, normal expenses are increasing and some are hard to avoid. Items, such as, health care cost and contribution increases to the State Retirement System. Though we certainly do have budget concerns, Kernersville remains fiscally strong.