To all COLA LO members,
If you have not had a chance please read Councilor Hennagin's guest opinion in the LO review this week. Its located at http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=129252144603475500
In it Councilor Hennagin drops the bombshell that the city will not be able to afford its existing staff without higher density redevelopment. Many citizens have been asking questions about the fiscal responsibility of council decisions. On his way out the door, after losing the election, Hennagin clearly states there is a problem. The article says:
"Another reader opposed the streetcar because he does not want to see Foothills developed. Lake Oswego currently spends $40 million per year to fund baseline operations to which our residents have become accustomed. It is projected that the cost of these services and programs will increase to $48 million by 2016. In the absence of either new development or substantial annexations of property in order to increase property tax revenue the burden of paying for these baseline operations will have to be allocated as additional property taxes to our current residents or else services and programs will have to be drastically reduced far below a level that will be acceptable to our citizens. I submit that development of Foothills is in the long-term financial interest of all of our residents."
Please inform all members and contacts......
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