Recent Posts

The golf course bond was to be paid off by the selling of twin home lots (about 34 of them) to a home builder where now the RV's now park.  The City Manager at the time told the Council in a closed door session that the deal had been done (sign sealed and delivered) well it turned out he missed represented that.  The builder backed off and here we are now in a housing depression.  It will come back and the bond can still be paid off in that way.
Open the Pool on Sunday and bring in more revenue.  Thats a no brainer but the LDS will come out screaming.  Well with 20,000 people in the area not all of them are Mormon.   Cut wages and perks.  You can find hundreds of thousand just in travel and training.  And I don't mean mandatory training.  The Mayor and Council should trim as well.  You should be able to cut.  The last City Council cut the fun money and this sitting one put it all back.  About $95,000.00 of fun money was cut a little over two years ago.  Their is enough money in garbage these days to turn big revenue dollars from the 365 acre land fill.  Thats where the money will be found if some one will get off their duff and develop it.
The pit is owned by the Woodberry Corp.  they will develop it into businesses as soon as this depression is over.  They just want more roof tops before they start.  That deal was done 5 years ago and it was a good deal for Payson at the time.  Yes to be fiscally responsible is a must.  A balanced budget a must.
Good luck sir come Tuesday ,and my hat is off to you for wanting to get Elected.

Candidate Baird said he would look into this Policy.  I just want the or a Policy in place and enforced.  I have no personal Vendetta, and by the way, Payson population is near 20,000.  I'd say it's not a small town.  Family ties huh.  Well lets just be a great big family in Happy Valley. 
A Paysonian, Spider

put your head back in the sand..........................

I have run for office and served a 4 year term.  You do not get what you pay for.....You pay you pay and then pay more.  Spider

You make a very good point, which I am glad you brought up. There are different dynamics when you bring in public safety and public works. There are things in a city we will always do not because it makes money but because those are the core responsibilities of our city governments.

The reason I believe in engaging in things outside of these core city responsibilities is to make money to further the core. If we are more fiscally responsible, then we can expand our services and improve our communities.

A great example of this was displayed at city council this last week. The city wants to improve its aging computers and networks.  The city recently realized over a hundred thousand extra dollars by selling off some of it extra capacity at our power plant.  A plan was presented to spend this money to help upgrade the city computers and it networks. A small portion was for actual computer upgrades, which I fully support. Over one hundred thousand was asked for to connect the city's buildings together with a fiber optic network. This would allow the city to share a $150 a month internet connection along with a few other things. To me it does not make common sense to spend over a hundred thousand dollars to saving a few hundred dollars a month on internet connections. The current city council was a bit uncomfortable but didn't know how to act; rather then give advice or ask for specific information they put the decision off get us all now where. I want more for us.

I would have been very specific and asked those requesting the money to come back in two weeks with a clear and convincing break down of why it was worth $100k+.  There are things that may make it worth it, but that direction was not given.  I am afraid the city will spend the money without asking why.  I feel the money could be better spent in a hundred different ways like upgrading our ambulance service from an on call service, where our first responders have to travel from their work or home to the ambulance and then to the site, to having someone always on call ready to go immediately. Or let’s pay our police officers more so we can maintain the best fleet possible to keep our neighbor hoods safe. In spite of the growth Payson has had over the last decade there has been no increase in the size of our police force.   I feel we can only make headway in such things if we apply true business principles to the unique situation of city governments.

I kind of hope they are not turning a profit - maybe I missed it, but Payson City is a non-profit organization. This is always a concern when people claim they are going to "run the city like a business." The city is not a business, it is government - non-profit. I don't want the Police making a profit, I want them to protect me and my family and I am willing to pay for that. I don't expect them to have a bake sale, just protect me and I will pay them to do it. Kind of like an eye surgeon. I don't look for the cheapest doctor, I look for the best before operating on my eyes. Some of the services the city provides are life and death - public safety, clean water, sanitary sewer - I don't want cheap I want good.

I realize we have a Golf Course, Power Department and Water Department to help pay the bills. In these instances they should make money or be disolved. But the general fund isn't intended to be profitable.

If Council people are doing their jobs, I do not have a problem compensating them. None of us work (or worked) for free and if you think being a member of the Council is easy I encourage you to run for office. It sure looks like work to me. Government leaders from Washington DC to Mona, Utah get some level of compensation. You couldn't pay me enough to have people who know very little about things telling me everything I do wrong. Are we really complaining about $500 a month and health benefits to represent us? You get what you pay for.

Spider,

Who exactly are you speaking of? Is it the City Attorney who had two of his children working at the golf course this summer and another son a few years ago? Or perhaps is it is the City Treasurer who has a son in the Streets Department and a husband and son who used to be in the Police Department. No, maybe it is the Executive Secretary with a husband in the Water Department. The human resources person with a son who used to work for the city and a husband who now consults for the city? No wait, maybe it is the lead mechanic with a brother in the Power Department and a brother-in-law who runs the Street Department. No wait...the City Recorder with a nephew in the Power Department? No it is probably the Fire Chief with a brother in facilities and a sister-in-law in planning. No? Well then how about someone in economic development with a step father in the Building Department? The Police Department secretary with a husband, father-in-law and brother-in-law in the Fire Department? And I know I missed a few. Does it really matter?

By the way there is not a single case of neoptism at Payson City. Family ties yes, nepotism no. But before you point fingers in any one direction, realize that in a small town there are going to be family ties. Sounds like you might have a bit of a vendeta against a few. Without more information it is difficult to understand your concern.

I do completely agree with you on one issue, all of the people listed above are great people doing their best to make the community better. 

One of the things that bother me on a daily basis is residential fencing.  There are many fences in the city that are 6 feet tall right up next to the street, forcing drivers to venture onto a blind road to try to see around the fence. I would like to see the city adopt an ordinance that would require a 3 foot fence within 25 feet of a road.
I am afraid that it will take someone getting killed before an ordinance will be adopted.
Anyone else have this worry.

I was able to attend the discussion on Tuesday evening.  I found it very helpful. I would have liked to hear from each of the candidates that are running for reelection what they accomplished in their previous terms.  Any ideas were to find that info?