Council Fire Tax Debate.

The Carthage City Council met Tuesday in a special session to discuss the proposed increase in benefits to the Police and Fire Pension plan. The Council, in a 6-4 vote, indicated that Carthage citizens will get to decide the Fire Tax issue.

The Council first approved a motion to accept the resignation of Ron Ferguson without discussion and approved a motion to appoint Bill Welch, effective immediately. Welch was sworn in by City Clerk Lynn Campbell.

Police Officer and Pension Committee member Bill Barksdale gave a presentation on the history of the current pension plan and the changes in the new proposal. These changes would require extra funding that could be provided by a quarter-cent Fire Tax.

A sales tax for fire protection is allowed by state statute according to City Attorney David Mouton. Any increase in sales tax would have to be approved by voters of the City. The result of the tax passing would be an estimated $400,000 in new revenue that would be used to help fund the Fire Department. That would leave approximately that amount free in the General Fund and that money is what the Police and Firemen’s Pension Committee is wanting to use for increased benefits. The Fire Tax being approved by the voters would not necessarily dictate how those excess funds would be used. A separate ballot question could be presented that would establish an increase in pension benefits, or the Council could decide that on their own.

There was a discussion following the presentation about the impact of raising taxes and whether the Council or public should decide on the tax issue. Further discussion involved the difference between pension benefits for the Police and Fire Department and those for all other city workers. This difference was referred to as "the gap" and all council members that voiced their opinions during the discussion were against "widening the gap."

Council Member Mike Harris made a motion to take the addition of a Fire Tax to public vote after the pension proposal first went to a Committee for finalization of details before returning to the Council for approval. Even with that motion, a formal approval of ballot language would be needed to place the issue on the ballot.

The motion was approved by a 6 to 4 vote. Those in favor were; Dave Woods, Mike Harris, Diane Sharits, Bill Welch, Bill Johnson, and Don Stearnes. Those against were; Claude Newport, Ronnie Wells, Jackie Boyer, and Jim Woestman.

Mayor Kenneth Johnson assigned the issue to the Finance/Personnel Committee, of which Council Member Ronnie Wells is Chair. Wells was outspoken in his opposition of Harris’s motion.

Here’s the long of it.

If in fact there is a possibility of the Fire Tax passin’ the real decision will be how to spend the money.

The Police and Firemen’s Pension Committee has an idea that will be considered. Since these two departments have a committee representin’ them, the thought of a committee to represent the other City department employees has been raised.

What will develop over the next few months or longer will be an endless string meetings and negotiations. The fact is at the end of the string is $400,000 a year in revenue. There are those who think at least a portion of that revenue should be pushed to the General Fund for other well deservin’ projects. The Taxpayers will ultimately decide if anyone gets a bite of the pie.

This is some fact, but mostly,

Just Jake Talkin’.

by

Metcalf Auto Supply

Click & Clack
TALK CARS

By Tom and Ray Magliozzi

Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1991 Ford Escort with a 1.9-liter engine. I have oil accumulating in the air cleaner, then draining out on the driveway. It appears that the oil is coming from the top of the valve-cover vent tube into the air box. I have changed the PCV valve (which is a different vacuum line out of the engine), with no success. It seems to only do it after driving at highway speeds for any distance. I also pulled the valve cover to replace the gasket and cleaned out the valve cover with a solvent. I even went to the extent of rerouting the valve-cover-to-air-box line "uphill" from the air box to try to eliminate the problem. The vehicle has 98,000 miles on it and runs fine; no other symptoms. Any ideas for me? — Arthur

RAY: Ideas for you? Yeah. Start looking for a new car, Arthur. Or at least a rebuilt engine.

TOM: You’ve got a severe case of blowby. Blowby occurs when your piston rings get old and worn out. What happens is that combustion gases from the cylinders slip by the worn-out rings and end up down in the crankcase, where they don’t belong.

RAY: The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system can take care of a certain amount of that excess combustion gas. But at some point, all that heat and pressure overwhelms the system, and the gases start pushing oil out of the engine. And the path of least resistance for the oil is through the breather hose to the air cleaner.

TOM: There are some "additive" products on the market that claim to help heal worn-out or sticky rings. You’ve got nothing to lose by trying them now.