Mayoral Candidate and current City Councilor Jessica Engleke pointed out the anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement yesterday on her own FB page recalling women gaining the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th amendment on August 20, 1920. Certainly that was one of the landmark voting actions in our last 150 years of history. Candidate Engleke omits a couple of salient points about the voting rights in her post which strangely contains a picture of both articles about her and candidate James Rose. In the long and sometimes bloody battles over the right to vote in the United States, it is interesting to note that it was another 42 years after white women in our country gained the right to vote, when finally American’s original inhabitants, our Native Americans were allowed to vote in 1962 when Utah was the last state to ratify. The Voting Act of 1965 continued to provide access to the polls for all women including native, black and asian americans. So the value of being able to vote, having all our votes counted, and the results of our votes upheld should never be taken for granted in this country. It is a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
While Jessica Engelke celebrates women’s right to vote, it is important understand that as a city councilor on February 26, 2019, she completely disregarded the vote of all citizens when she voted to raise the public safety fee from $15 to $30 after the voters of the city sent a very clear message to the City Administrator and the City Council that by an 11% margin, voters rejected the city’s attempt to raise the fee by ballot measure from $15 to $25. The minutes to that meeting follow as a clear record of recent city history, and readers can see that Engelke, Slater, Richardson and sitting Mayor Wetherell all voted to ignore the vote of the people and pass an even larger fee increase. She further came out against the citizens right to vote to regulate city revenue by actively opposing measure 6-176 which passed by a super majority in the recent May elections. How can you celebrate something that you are actively trying to circumvent? Be sure to vote in November like your city depends on it because it does!
Meeting Minutes from North Bend City Council, February 26, 2019:
OTHER BUSINESS
RESOLUTION 3258 A RESOLUTION INCREASING THE MONTHLY PUBLIC SAFETY UTILITY FEE
City Administrator O’Connor said based on the work session discussion resolution 3258 was prepared increasing the monthly public safety utility fee from $15 to $30 a month.
The fee would generate $1,620,000 over a twelve-month period. Increasing the fee was part of larger strategy staff provided to council to stabilize funding for public safety for the next five years. Council Erbele did not believe there was a consensus at the work session to move forward with the increase of the public safety fee and there was still discussion
about a tax levy in May or November. He would like to see a measure on the May ballot and a advertise it as much as possible and see what the results are. Councilor Engelke said we talked about putting the levy on the November ballot, as it would allow for more time for discussion and utilize the Fire and Police Chief to assist with the education of the
proposal. Mayor Wetherell said there was discussion about placing a levy on the ballot at the work session and that could be voted on also. He said we discussed the increasing the fee might be a temporary until we could find a way to support what we need in all areas of the city. Ifthere was a levy to put on the May ballot City Administrator O’Connor said, it would have to be to the county’s election office by Friday and only the elected officials
could talk about it. Councilor Graham said ballot measures related to money have been
passed during May elections. Mayor Wetherell said he is concerned that there is not have enough time to educate the citizens if something is put on the May ballot. He believes that if the citizens knew the situation they would be less trouble in passing the levy. Councilor Graham said when would the education movement start; Councilor Richardson said he
believes the Fire and Police Chiefs would start immediately. Councilor Erbele is
concerned that we are not getting the levy going on the next elections as we said we
would. Councilor Graham said council did not make a decision on the February 19th
meeting on what to do. Mayor Wetherell said that is why the resolution is before the
council it will allow additional time to come up with a plan. He said we did not do
anything before the last advisory vote and 44% of the people voted for it and if we
educated the people we could get the votes needed. He said it is on council that they did not do anything. Councilor Graham said if you put something on the ballot in May you
could delay the increase until after election. City Administrator O’Connor said we needed a $25 fee which was not done and now we need $30 and if there is another delay, the fee could go higher because the longer you wait the more you must make up. Erbele said if
the levy passed you could justify raising the fees until the levy kicks in instead of doing what they voted against. Councilor Richardson said he looks at like insurance that the
Fire and Police departments are going respond to a call. Councilor Engelke said it sounds like we cannot wait to increase the fee; O’Connor said we are already compromised, as we
will not have the 1.6 million that we use until the tax money comes in so the City would end up with approximately $700,000 carry over. Councilor Erbele asked how much the extra $15 would give the city for the 3 months; q1ief Kappelman said we collect
approximately $68,000 a month with the rate at $}5. If we did not increase the fee, we would be telling the people we trust them to make the decision on the levy. Councilor Richardson looks at it differently because he does not think people understand they would lose their police and fire for medical calls. Councilor Graham asked when we would lose police and fire, O’Connor said May election comes and the tax dollars do not come in for a year. If council decided not to impose the additional $15 a month the cuts would go into effect by July 1, 2019.
Councilor Bill Richardson moved and Councilor Timm Slater seconded the motion to
adopt resolution 3258 a resolution increasing the monthly public safety fee to $30.
Councilor Graham, Councilor Garboden and Councilor Erbele voted no, all other vote in favor, motion carried 4 to 3.
City Administrator asked council if they are considering placing the Public Safety Serial Levy on the ballot would they want the $30 fee to stop when the tax dollars are received; council consensus was that was what they were thinking. O’Connor said if they levy does not pass would the $30 fee continue or not; some council members thought was the $30 fee would have to continue. Councilor Engelke said we do not have to decide today,
O’Connor said no the ballot title is due August 17th-Mayor said if the ballot fails it is
likely the fee would need to remain. Council asked staff to bring information to the next work session about the ballot amount and proposed language. Councilor Erbele said you are asking them how they want to be taxed not if they want the services. Councilor
Richardson said he views it as insurance for the citizens. Councilor Slater asked
Councilor Erbe le if he had anyone tell them they want less police of fire services;
Councilor Erbele said 54% said that in the November election. Councilor Graham said a date needs to be set so council will make a decision. Councilor Erbele said he has asked for information so that he can make an informed decision if businesses and residences
should be paying the same fee. City Administrator O’Connor said that we received some information from the water board two weeks ago. Chief Kappelman said he supplied call numbers, Erbele said he received those numbers. Mayor Wetherell said everyone has
been concerned about the billing rates and that is something that we should talk about at the work session.
City of North Bend Council Meeting Minutes -February 26, 2019