Refund for 19,000 will be discussed
By Angela Lau
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
April 15, 2006
ENCINITAS – The failed $5-a-month clean-water fee on January's mail-in ballot cost the city $128,000, money that critics say could have been better spent on cash-strapped capital projects.
City officials released this week an accounting of the election, which had been demanded by opponents of the measure. The report will be considered by the City Council on Wednesday.
Council members also are expected to decide then how to refund $1.62 million in clean-water fees collected from 19,000 property owners without their approval.
The money was charged through their trash bills from April 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005. Each household is due an $85 refund.
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Where's the money?
The refund isn't for 19,000 property owners. The 19,000 is actually the city's poor approximation of the number of water meters. Some addresses had more than one water meter which would mean that the refund would be more for those. The number of refund checks would be closer to 17,000.
ReplyDeleteThe refund amount will also be more than 85 dollars per active water meter because the city interest is only recorded to the second quarter of the fiscal year, Dec. 31, 2005. The city hasn't included third quarter interest, from Jan. 1 to Mar. 31 nor the amount in April.
Where's the money? It's being held hostage by the city council and staff.
Huh? As far as I know the fee was paid per trash bill, not per water meter.
ReplyDeleteThe first poor assumption, mistake, was to think that anyone could equate separate trash pick up addresses, by EDCO, with number of water meters. Probably only EDCO knows how much they collected. Our Council Members have their heads up their you know whats.
Yeah, and Bossypants Guerin, and Lawnmowerman Dalager both voted to put this joke of an illegal tax on our EDCO bills to begin with, without a public vote, without a "supermajority" of Council agreeing, either.
ReplyDeleteApparently Guerin and Dalager, up for reelection this coming November, both think they can disregard our State Constitution and ignore due process of law guaranteed by our Federal Constitution.
Hey, we're on a roll. These two phonies, who think they are above us, and the law, have got to go.
The fee amount on the trash bill was based on the number of water meters at an address.
ReplyDeleteThe city council needs to answer the question of how much interest the fees earned while EDCO had control of them and is that interest included in the amounts EDCO gave to the city.
EDCO only turned the fees over to the city every three months.
EDCO sure has a cozy relationship with this City.
ReplyDeleteFile a claim with the city to protect your rights to the money. Although the settlement in tyhe case stipulated no one had to file a claim Bossypants and Lawnmowerman ignored other terms of the settlement I wouldn't put it past them to ignore that term also. Contact Jayce Schwarm at City Hall and demand a claim form. Claim 86 dollars and what you think interest should be. You can also claim any damages you suffered because they held your money for two years. As an example, interest you paid on a credit card because you couldn't pay it off, etc. Don't let them get away with holding your money hostage.
ReplyDeleteWhile we're on the subject of misspent money and public information requests, how much money have taxpayers spent on publicity trips, PR opportunities re Hondo Japan in the last four years since Christy Guerin has been in office, or eight years? The city pays her way, hotel fare? Does she get a per diem? Do Hondo Japan representatives come here and get wined and dined on our dime? Yes, we would like this info before the next election.
ReplyDeleteThis should include the total the City pays for everyone who goes. Our information is that Hondo Japan was initially chosen because of contacts one of former mayors, Rick Shea, has there. We think somewhere in Mexico would be honest, and more charitable. This yearly expense is just to let Christy and bros have another vacation and publicity opportunity at the overburdened taxpayers’ expense. Then Christy lords it over Maggie because she could not compete in the race Christy ran there, with her bad knee(s). We believe through her buds, like David Myers, Bossypants Guerin "sic"ed a mean ol' clown on Maggie, who was worried about a stray feral kitten.
Do you know how many cats here, could be saved, Maggie, Christy, Dan, with the money you are spending on persecuting us? Or how many donkeys could be saved in Mexico if you chose to spend your photo opportunities there?