Now Its One Million Dollars For Valley Trails?

The Martin Chronicles watched Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin casually announce that he intends to pour ONE MILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS into the replacement of the main artery known as Valley Trails with great interest. Just how casual was Martin? He announced that shocking plan at the last secret (non-televised) meeting with the ease of someone telling his family that they were going to Golden Corral for dinner. The big difference? Martin won't be spending his own money on this costly road replacement.

The context of Martin's comment was even more alarming. How so? Martin's comment was in response to Councilman Wischer's suggestion that the City should borrow ONE MILLION DOLLARS to repair City streets. Are you with us? Martin wasn't saying that he didn't see a need to add ONE MILLION DOLLAR IN DEBT to the taxpayer burden. Martin was saying that ONE MILLION DOLLARS isn't nearly enough.

Does that presage what might really be coming? Is Martin looking for TWO MILLION DOLLARS? Is Martin looking for THREE MILLION DOLLARS? That is certainly our take-a-way. So, how does the diminutive dictator plan to get the money he thinks he needs?

Consider this. The entire annual City budget is a shade over THREE MILLION DOLLARS. Is Martin saying he may need twice that much to carry out his radical agenda. A reasonable person could certainly come to that conclusion.

Here are our questions:

• How can a mayor who is saying we can't afford a fully-staffed, local police department also say the taxpayers need to pony up more than ONE MILLION DOLLARS to repair just one street (albeit a main artery)?
• How can a mayor who is incurring the TAXPAYER-FUNDED expense of at least a half dozen attorneys for all manner of legal action say he needs the taxpayers to pony-up MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE for street repair?
• How can a mayor who had absolutely no compunction to sign a purchase order that generated a $23,000 TAXPAYER-FUNDED PAYDAY to himself say that the taxpayers need to pony up MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE for street repair?
• How can a mayor who thinks the City is so financially strapped that it can't afford a postage meter say that the taxpayers need to pony up MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE for street repair?
• How can a mayor whose refusal to answer any questions from City Council directly led to spending thousands and thousands of dollars on a Special Counsel investigation that led to that mayor being convicted on SEVEN OF NINE COUNTS OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT and NEGLECT OF DUTY say that the taxpayers need to pony up MILLIONS OF DOLLARS MORE for street repair?
• Where is the outrage that often came from a former City councilman on various alternate reality websites railing against such a wasteful proposal?

So what is coming? Well, look for new proposals for HIGHER TAXES. Martin will tell the residents that much higher taxes are necessary to keep up property values. Martin will tell apocryphal stories of realtors who won't take potential buyers down certain streets because they are in such tremendous disrepair. Martin will tell us that his heart says he doesn't want you to pay higher taxes, but his head tells you that it is your civic duty to do so.

Let's put this in perspective for you. Let's say that Martin was able to secure just ONE MILLION IN NEW TAXPAYER-FUNDED DOLLARS. That figure-which Martin says is not nearly enough-would mean that the City would have to generate an additional $96,000 each year in revenue to cover that debt load. That is far more than what increasing Villa Hills property tax by THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWED BY LAW would generate. So multiply that figure by a figure of two. Or, multiply it by a factor of three.

Any way you slice it, it certainly appears that the mismanaging Martin is planning HUGE TAX INCREASES FOR THE RESIDENTS OF VILLA HILLS. Will we ever see a former councilman launch another one of his alternate reality websites, warning the residents about huge tax increases and the lack of a coherent road plan? If not, then why not?

How about this? Martin has now been mayor for almost three years. Has he set aside any significant amount of money in a pool earmarked for future street repairs? If he has, perhaps he could hen lay out a reasoned, compelling case for the need for a great increase in spending on the City's streets. Martin could show the alternative ways to generate the revenue to support such an increase in spending. Then he could work with the council to once again ask the voters to decide if they support that compelling case, asking them to approve a ballot initiative.

Did you really believe Martin when he told you that you were getting what you voted for?