More Comparisons & a Few Questions

 

At the Cascade City Council meeting Monday 9 October, $1.2 was shaved off the new library construction budget. Councilman Andy Kelchen even suggested that more might be taken off for good measure—to make sure we are well under the line. It is quite sad to consider what a beautiful design the library was to begin with and what has been removed.  Pictured above are two Cascade playgrounds barely a block apart—one at the East Side Elementary expanded this summer, the other in the Legion Park at the pool. Of course, the former was built by the school system; the other is a city installation, different government levels. However, it seems some cooperation and communication among decision makers might have avoided this costly duplication so we might not have to make such painful cuts.  Might other expenditures such as dog parks might receive the same scrutiny?

 

Administration is a widely varying cost among cities, but it bears looking at them, though comparison

is difficult because city administrators have differing duties. For example, the city of Epworth (pop. 2,023) is run by long-time Clerk Janet Burger. She stresses that she handles “only administration; the streets and police are run by the heads of those departments.” However, she has 35 years experience and makes $71,760. In Anamosa, with more than twice the population of Cascade at 5,522 people the top job held by Jeremiah Hoyt is paid $100,880.  With almost exactly twice the population at 4,040, Monticello Administrator Russell Farnum pulls down $96,500. Of course, none of these figures include heath care, clothing allowance, phones or other perks paid administrators.