By Ron Sifen

Wow. That didn’t take long.
* SPLOST proponents scare tactics warn of higher taxes if SPLOST fails.
* March 15 Cobb voters scared into approving SPLOST by 90 vote margin.
* A week later, we learn that Cobb will either have to raise taxes or cut spending on necessities (or a combination of the two).

Yeah, but weren’t there some necessities in the SPLOST? Yes. Cobb DOT tells me they had $87 million of absolute necessities. I don’t disagree with a penny of that $87 million. I disagreed with $492 million in taxes for $87 million in necessities, and $405 million in other stuff.

Outside of CDOT’s $87 million, there was less than $100 million in other true necessities. Even the SPLOST proponents admitted that a lot of the SPLOST was amenities. More than $300 million of the SPLOST is just tax and spend for mostly nice stuff, but at a time when we can’t afford $300 million of tax and spend on lots of non-necessities.

So, now, one of Cobb’s options would be to increase our millage rate from 9.6 mills to 15.9 mills. And that is on top of the additional $492 million in new SPLOST taxes that you will pay over the next 4 years. (And we still face the regional T-SPLOST tax increase vote in 2012.)

If the SPLOST had been rejected, Cobb County could have identified $150 million in true necessities from the SPLOST, plus $90 million of funding-the-budget-shortfalls for the next 3 years. That would have only required $240 million in new taxes, and would have sustained all current services, and covered all necessities. That is less than half what the SPLOST will collect, and would have covered all of our necessities, which the SPLOST will not do.

So, how do we fix this?

1. Cobb County now has a moral obligation to fix this with no other tax increases. Cobb County convinced voters to support $492 million in taxes to avoid a millage increase. A millage increase now would be an unconscionable betrayal.
2. The only alternative to large tax increases is large spending cuts. Spending cuts should not be equal across-the-board for all areas of government. Spending cuts must be prioritized.
3. Public safety is our highest priority. To the degree that we can find some cost savings, we should do so. We should not make cuts that would reduce the effectiveness of our public safety services.
4. The next highest priority should be infrastructure. The SPLOST includes capital improvements for roads, but not road maintenance. Cobb County cannot allow our roads and other infrastructure to deteriorate.
5. There is probably not much that Cobb County could do about the costs of our courts and other mandated services. If furlough days are possible, it must be considered. If salary reductions are possible, it must be considered.
6. For other County departments, furlough days are going to be unavoidable. As Commissioner Ott pointed out, the County must adhere to its hiring freeze.
7. There is nothing that Cobb can do about our debt service obligations in the near term. As these balances are paid down, the problem will actually begin to take care of itself in later years.
8. As Commissioner Goreham pointed out, the County is going to have to look at retirement plan benefits, health insurance costs, and other employee benefits. Cost reductions for the County will almost certainly be necessary. Employee health insurance premiums may have to be increased, and or benefits reduced.
9. Cobb County cannot eliminate CCT. However, major cost reductions are necessary. A few years ago, I served on the CCT Advisory Board for more than 4 years. Even back then, I recommended that CCT needed to eliminate its lower ridership routes. This could save millions.
10. In addition, now is the time to restructure the paratransit service, as I had recommended years ago. Paratransit operates like an ultra-inefficient taxi service. It should continue to strive to meet individual needs to the extent possible, but it must be restructured to operate within the framework of a form of transit, not an ultra-inefficient taxi service.
11. We should not close branch libraries. However, reduced hours, for at least a few years, is going to be a necessity. I would like to see full hours restored when Cobb has the money to do so. Right now, Cobb just does not have the money.
12. Senior services will also have to be reduced. Again, I would like to see full services restored when the money is available.
13. Parks and recreation services will also have to be reduced, and fees increased. The more expensive operations, such as aquatic centers, may need to be closed, until such time that the County can afford to reopen them.
14. Mable House Amphitheater and Jenny Anderson Theater must be closed. We cannot afford to continue to subsidize these operations. If possible, these properties and the golf course should be sold.
15. We should certainly take advantage of the $8 million in one-time savings from the 3 items that county staff identified March 22.
16. SPLOST projects must be prioritized so that none of the projects that will initiate new amenities will be started until Cobb County will have sustainable revenue to support the operations and maintenance of those facilities. That doesn’t mean don’t do those projects. It means don’t do them now.

It won’t be pretty, but it is doable.