CTroyMathis
28 December 2002, 04:05 PM
Economic woes highlight cities' similarities
By O.K. Carter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Similarities between Cincinnati and Arlington are relatively few, but fascinating comparisons keep coming up.
It was Cincinnati, its population slowly shrinking, for instance, that continuously growing Arlington passed last year en route to becoming one of America's most populous cities.
This year, Arlington's city budget was hammered by a combination of an economic downturn resulting in lower than expected sales tax revenues compounded by a housing stock that isn't cranking up the volume enough in terms of property tax revenues.
The tax scenario is slightly different in Cincinnati. When economic push comes to dollar shove, however, it has almost exactly the same economic woes.
The cities have reacted the same way: some budget cutting highlighted by hiring freezes and layoffs of mostly white-collar personnel.
Consider this: A relatively old city of similar size to Arlington but shrinking in size is having severe economic problems. Clearly downsizing isn't working. Meanwhile, Arlington, which continues to gain up to 5,000 new residents every year, is having almost identical problems.
In short, the "growth is good" thing isn't exactly working either. Such a quandary.
Politically, the cities have taken separate paths.
Arlington continues with its historical weak-mayor, city-manager structure. Cincinnati voters last year, however, basically wrecked that concept in favor of a strong mayor system similar to that espoused by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. Cincinnati's first mayor under the system is Charlie Luken.
Luken proposes laying off as many as 100 Cincinnati city employees in departments he deems nonessential. In Arlington, it was left up to City Manager Chuck Kiefer to set personnel trimming priorities. Generally, he did a clip here, a tuck there, beating up just about every department except public safety.
Luken seems more interested in line-item clearance, as in zapping what amounts to whole departments. All those cable TV people who broadcast assorted city meetings. Also environmental management.
Most interesting of all, Cincinnati's entire 26-member planning department looks to be on the block waiting for the proverbial axe to fall.
Luken acknowledged that such an action would "move the city in a different direction."
Do tell.
What's to plan, after all, in a built-out city that continues to lose 3,000 to 4,000 residents every year?
Meanwhile, the current economic woes at City Hall that Arlington is experiencing makes one wonder exactly what was the benefit of all those master plans and sector meetings put together by the planning department. Are we looking at a scenario where the more the city plans and regulates the worse things get?
If so, the powers that be might as well let the market rule, adopt a strong mayor system and get on with it, saving a lot of taxpayer dollars in the process. Arlington could label this as the "Luken defense" and watch what happens as the town approaches its own buildout over the next couple of decades. There's enough undeveloped land, after all, for about 20,000 more residences.
Don't worry. The Luken defense isn't going to happen. Or could it?
By O.K. Carter
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Similarities between Cincinnati and Arlington are relatively few, but fascinating comparisons keep coming up.
It was Cincinnati, its population slowly shrinking, for instance, that continuously growing Arlington passed last year en route to becoming one of America's most populous cities.
This year, Arlington's city budget was hammered by a combination of an economic downturn resulting in lower than expected sales tax revenues compounded by a housing stock that isn't cranking up the volume enough in terms of property tax revenues.
The tax scenario is slightly different in Cincinnati. When economic push comes to dollar shove, however, it has almost exactly the same economic woes.
The cities have reacted the same way: some budget cutting highlighted by hiring freezes and layoffs of mostly white-collar personnel.
Consider this: A relatively old city of similar size to Arlington but shrinking in size is having severe economic problems. Clearly downsizing isn't working. Meanwhile, Arlington, which continues to gain up to 5,000 new residents every year, is having almost identical problems.
In short, the "growth is good" thing isn't exactly working either. Such a quandary.
Politically, the cities have taken separate paths.
Arlington continues with its historical weak-mayor, city-manager structure. Cincinnati voters last year, however, basically wrecked that concept in favor of a strong mayor system similar to that espoused by Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. Cincinnati's first mayor under the system is Charlie Luken.
Luken proposes laying off as many as 100 Cincinnati city employees in departments he deems nonessential. In Arlington, it was left up to City Manager Chuck Kiefer to set personnel trimming priorities. Generally, he did a clip here, a tuck there, beating up just about every department except public safety.
Luken seems more interested in line-item clearance, as in zapping what amounts to whole departments. All those cable TV people who broadcast assorted city meetings. Also environmental management.
Most interesting of all, Cincinnati's entire 26-member planning department looks to be on the block waiting for the proverbial axe to fall.
Luken acknowledged that such an action would "move the city in a different direction."
Do tell.
What's to plan, after all, in a built-out city that continues to lose 3,000 to 4,000 residents every year?
Meanwhile, the current economic woes at City Hall that Arlington is experiencing makes one wonder exactly what was the benefit of all those master plans and sector meetings put together by the planning department. Are we looking at a scenario where the more the city plans and regulates the worse things get?
If so, the powers that be might as well let the market rule, adopt a strong mayor system and get on with it, saving a lot of taxpayer dollars in the process. Arlington could label this as the "Luken defense" and watch what happens as the town approaches its own buildout over the next couple of decades. There's enough undeveloped land, after all, for about 20,000 more residences.
Don't worry. The Luken defense isn't going to happen. Or could it?