Memphis City Council Budget Chairman Shea Flinn nailed it.
And every Memphis taxpayer should remember it. “You can’t be against a tax increase and reductions in services,” he said.
To his point, if you’re against a tax increase, you are de facto for reductions in services, or if you are for maintaining or increasing services, you are for a tax increase.
Budget hearings in City Hall are never easy, but faced with the need to find the tens of millions of dollars owed to Memphis City Schools (after the Council’s courageous attempt to end the double taxation of Memphians for public education was rebuffed by the courts), calling this year’s budget hearings difficult is a gross understatement.
Painfree Government
The problem for city officials is that the public doesn’t want a tax increase but it doesn’t want to feel any pain from the decisions that result from cutting budgets. The public wants government to be lean and efficient, but no one wants to go without their favorite service – just ask participants in the city parks’ athletic teams.
So there’s never been a better time for the city to consider how citizens can become partners with it, using communications, technology, and new approaches to continue services that would otherwise be eliminated, starting with the athletic leagues. Although the choices for the Council budget committee are to raise taxes or cut costs, maybe, just maybe, with a philosophy of collaboration, there are options for keeping some services intact but it’s up to us to recommend how.
There’s a lot of rhetoric about city government cutting costs and its wasteful operations.
Just the Facts
Here are the facts:
* The City of Memphis tax rate is the same as 1993 although Memphis is about 120 square miles larger and density is 1,000 people less per square mile.
* The City of Memphis per capita cost of services is less than either Shelby County, Germantown, Collierville, or Bartlett governments.
* The City of Memphis has fewer employees making more than $100,000 than Shelby County Government.
* All Memphis property tax revenues don’t even cover the costs of Memphis Police Department and Memphis Fire Department – it’s still about $80 million short.
Play Ball
That brings us back to Councilman Flinn’s comment. He proposed an increase in the city tax increase to pay off the schools debt, but one of the political Ten Commandments is “never raise taxes in an election year,” so there’s little chance that his idea will get traction. As a result, city government has begun to pare back services, notably the elimination of the Division of Park’s athletic programs.
Here’s the thing: city government should invite our ideas to keep the programs running. After all, the Division of Parks Services budget for athletic programs is only $281,042. That’s the balance after deducting $103,300 in fees that it collects. Most of the cost is for the salaries of four employees. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the parks division budget is essentially what it was 15 years ago, so when its budget is cut, it hits the bone because there is no fat.
Yes, the cost of the athletic programs is only about one-quarter of one cent of property taxes, but you don’t close the $60 million budget deficit without dozens and dozens of small cuts.
There is of course the option of increasing the fees threefold – if athletic program participants propose it – to fund the total cost of athletic programs. But there may be other options that employ technology so the public can self-organize and manage the programs with volunteers. As Gary Hamel once wrote in Finding the Revolution, “the goal is not to speculate on what might happen, but to imagine what you can make happen.”
A Sporting Chance
Maybe there are things we can make happen. It requires us to think innovatively and differently, and instead of waiting on city government to organize things to think of ways we can do it ourselves. For example, can we set up a volunteer nonprofit organization that can manage the program itself? After all, Patrick Halloran organized a city kickball league that would have had 52 teams this year, so there is no lack of organizational skills.
All told, about 5,000 people of all ages participate in 500 athletic teams. Local government always seems to be several generations behind in technology for its employees and the application of technology to improve operations and inspire new ways of maintaining public services like the athletic programs.
We’re sure we’re simplifying it but if the parks division’s athletic staff was booking fields, setting schedules, and handling other logistical issues, there should be a technological answer to do it just as well by volunteers.
As we have often written, everyone wants government to be more businesslike until it affects them. That’s why this is a moment when we, as citizens, should adopt a different attitude. We should quit acting as consumers of government services, and instead, act as co-creators in collaborating to design new ways to deliver them.
Technology Solutions
Maybe, the Division of Park Services can contribute one fulltime employee to help volunteers run the athletic program if City Hall was more inventive in engaging citizens to help. For example, we should set up a website like ParkScan in San Francisco so that we can notify parks workers of problems in parks to reduce the amount of time that is spent visiting parks to see if there are problems.
In the words of ParkScan: “San Francisco’s more than 200 neighborhood parks provide a wide range of recreational opportunities to residents and visitors alike. These resources need thoughtful care and upkeep. Unfortunately, budget constraints make it impossible for City staff to be in every park every day. ParkScan allows City residents to report and monitor conditions they feel are important to their park’s upkeep. This information is vital to the parks department’s timely response to maintenance issues.
“Reports provide invaluable data for park advocates and the Recreation and Parks Department because they substantiate the need for resources during the budget process. ParkScan’s annual reports provide important trend information about park maintenance across the city so data can be compared year to year. Annual reports are provided to all elected officials, including the Mayor.”
Then again, City of Memphis should emulate SeeClickFix so that all of us can act as “eyes on the street” reporting blight, graffiti, or problems. The point is that local government here does a dismal job of using technology to transform citizens into active advocates and adjunct staff, and with more difficult budget choices ahead, there’s never been a better time for us to be asked to exercise our full citizenship.
No Sacred Cows
Cities across the country are taking some unprecedented actions to cut budgets, including laying off hundreds of teachers, cutting funds for education (an option which is apparently denied to Memphis by the courts), reducing the number of police officers on the street, and more.
As City Council budget hearings continue, we are assuming that there will be no sacred cows. Every service – and yes, this includes fire and police – needs to be examined for cost savings. In particular, it’s a good time to consider how to right size public facilities and to relocate them for where Memphians live today. With 30% fewer people living inside the 1970 city limits of Memphis and with densities halved (and more), city facilities are largely located for a city that no longer exists.
It may not be possible to conduct the kind of in-depth analysis that’s needed in time for this year’s budget hearings, but hopefully, it will be begin so that it can be taken into account next year. It’s time for that kind of clear-eyed analysis and it’s time for all of us to get into the process to find better ways to deliver city services.
I know that taxes must be paid,,, I know that taxes will be raised. But runaway salaries, budgets, and waste in the city government must be stopped. One way is to reduce the amount of city owned vehicles, I’m sure there are other ways too. This all boils down to reasons why the city and county governments should be merged into ONE government.
How about the city consider generating Parks funding sources similar to what other top ranked cities have done.
Consider the TOPs program of Colorado Springs which has generated $46 million in funding for Park and Rec projects. Colorado Springs was ranked #1 recently for its high quality of living.
http://www.springsgov.com/Page.aspx?NavID=3590
The Mayor of Southaven is pushing this type of strategy as well with his “Penny for the Parks” program.
http://www.wmctv.com/story/14681271/southaven-mayor-optimistic-on-state-of-the-city
What Southaven and Colorado Spring have going for them is a strong middle class that values and uses the public realm.
Just because we might not be able to complete a full analysis of potential inefficiencies / cost saving opportunities in time for the current budget process to be completed, this is no excuse not to begin the endeavor. If we think this year’s cuts are painful, I can promise you next year will be much, much worse. It looks as if this year’s revenue band-aids will exhaust all one-shot revenue options. This means there will be no stones left to turn next year.
Last night Janis Fullilove was featured on Ch 5 as saying she’s against job cuts, against service cuts, and against a pay raise. Duh!!! None of us WANT to do that, but unless she can find a way to make money grow on trees, some tough decisions will have to be made.
Not only do the technical innovations suggested by SCM offer possible solutions to the current (and worsening) budget crisis, but they are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to take ownership of our city and provide ourselves with the services we want in the way that is most effective for our communities. Take after school athletics: If the programs were managed by volunteers with the support of a city employee, the programs could be better tailored & scheduled to provide the maximum impact for youth. Are the programs held at the right times to accommodate family participation? Does the basketball game overlap the tutoring session? Should they be rearranged so children can take advantage of both in a single location? When families arrive to pick up children, are they offered opportunities to engage in physical activity with their children?
These are questions only community members can effectively answer. We know our neighborhoods and our needs. Encouraging City Hall to better deploy technology does much more than save us all money. It’s a chance for government to more fully support its citizens and help them build a sense of ownership and control of their neighborhoods and destinies.
The link between a new computer program and neighborhood support & growth can be a bit hard to visualize. But it’s there, and we can achieve it. We can’t let budget deadlines, election years, and soapboxes hold us back. We must begin imagining and demanding a more efficient, engaged, supportive government today. Memphis is a slow ship to turn, and we need all hands on deck.
Gwyn: Amen and amen. I wish someone would fund MPACT to consider more innovative answers from the community.
Aaron: Amen to you as well. The TOPS program began with a public vote and there’s no reason that we can’t do the same if we as the public demand it.
The key is demand as you said, but I am not sure if we have that here. We can hope.
Aaron – I think an almost mutinous demand for change exists, we just need to give it a voice. I am constantly amazed at how many people long for the same things we all work towards, but are simply unaware or unsure of how to convey those desires in a way that leaders will listen to. One of my absolute favorite parts of being at MPACT (among many favorites) is helping young professionals find that voice. Their passion is inspiring; their ideas amazing.
In many cities, these are Chamber of Commerce issues.
Some cities are creating a core city Chamber of Commerce. There is a New Orleans Regional Chamber but now also a New Orleans (proper) Chamber. There is a Metro Jackson Chamber Partnership but now a Jackson Chamber of Commerce to focus on local issues too. I don’t really know if that is wise because it is expensive and frought with politics.
But… Perhaps we should come up with a campaign that loads our existing chamber with members interested in creative problem solving. If hundreds of people signed up at once, wrote their check and filled out applications that might send a signal. If that all happened on the first day of Director nominations and a slate was submitted with some of these names on it with a bunch of new voters behind them, that might be fun.
Then perhaps the business community starts to hear about and involve themselves in different initiatives that benefit a new pallet of ideas?
How many policies that have changed Memphis have come from a segment of the population that WASN’T the affluent sector?
What initiative have the “ever so untrusting of the affluent” poor ever been sought or engaged?
You know, the people that are feeling the actual harshest effects of the problems.
If all you have are supply side initiatives, you don’t have the whole picture and will not experience effective work.
That’s a big problem to have, the poor and affected are economically “disallowed” to contribute to the betterment of their own circumstances by “justified” reasoning.It all makes so much sense when it’s explained, and he explainers are 100% right. The problem is when people can’t see when being 100% right is the booby prize and transcending paradox and reason for a greater good is the ONLY way through.
Here’s my very elementary stark example:
How old is Vollentine school?
How old is Grahamwood school?
Grahamwood school has a cool playground the same size as Vollentines School’s empty lot.
Vollentine School STILL has NO PLAYGROUND!
Does Memphis really have such a vested interest in making sure that it’s poor have no creative thinking skills to the point that it would make sure no support to teach that is given to their schools?
Teachers at MCS made approximately 6 to 12 times what I make and yet I put over $2000 into an elementary schools garden to make it look better for the kids, which the principle and staff took up, and yet the PTA and teachers couldn’t get a playground at Vollentine.
That’s a real description of how people think here. Not well.
In Vollentine School’s neighborhood, problem solving skills and thinking stop at shooting the other guy now. Bravo!
I’ve seen the problem and the problem is US!
That should be good news.
Brian: We’re not sure about Grahamwood, but Vollentine was built in 1930. Grahamwood was probably built 20-25 years after that.