HomeMy WebLinkAboutGarrett Furuichi
October 16, 2018
Mayor and City Council
City of Ashland
20 E. Main Street
Ashland, OR 97520
RE: Letter of Resignation
Dear Mayor Stromberg and Councilors:
I want to start with praise for the professional staff and their efforts. I appreciate their work ethic and the
presentation last night was refreshing. Thank you Paula Brown, Mark Welch and Kelly Madding for steering us in
the right direction.
As elected officials, however, your tactics of derision and contempt continues to be offensive and improper. Last
night when I asked for information on the total cost of each capital asset, you asked, "Why do you need that
information?" (Well because it is public information and required by GASB 34). This is the same condemnation
that I suffered when I asked about overtime and other issues in the last budget cycle. Remember the Daily Tidings
Editorial, "Public Means Public?"
Your attempt a being dismissive about the size of the budget is not acknowledging the truth. If you look at the
published numbers and select a comparative period you will find all of the increases have be greater than
inflation. The total budget, from 2008-09 increased from $78.4 million to $143 million. While just the Operating
Budget increased from $54 million to $88.6 million. The increases are $64 million and $34.5 million, an increase
of 82.5 and 64 percent, respectively. Inflation during this period was less than 14 percent.
Using the Opengov numbers the budget is up 48 percent or $30.2 million. This is 3.46 times the rate of inflation
and is unsustainable growth. Please see Exhibit A for a comparison of data from Opengov to published and
adopted budgets. Please note the unexplained variances in the table.
The increase in utility fees and charges is based on the false assumption that this will save taxpayers money. How
many people do you know can pay the full purchase price of a house or car? Most of us must utilized debt. In
fact, the weighted average cost of capital is a common method for evaluating the use of debt vs. equity. By
charging higher fees to build up a replacement cost, at a time of historic low interest rates, you have overcharged
utility customers. In addition, the accumulation of large fund balance in the Enterprise funds should not be used
to cover General fund deficits.
There are still a number of topics to cover and issues to be raised. I believe I can be more effective without your
constraints and ridicule. Therefore, I hereby resign from the Budget Committee.
Sincerely,
Garrett Furuichi
Exhibit A
Ashland
Annual - Expenses
Download generated on 10/01/2018
Object Type 2007-08Actual 2017-18Actual Change Change%
Personnel Services
Salaries & Wages 14,760,585 19,275,306 4,514,721 30.59%
Fringe Benefits 7,360,525 11,928,057 4,567,532 62.05%
Total 22,121,110 31,203,363 9,082,253 41.06%
Variance from Published Aduals 173,032 2,462,676 2,289,644
Published Personal Service 22,294,142 33,666,039 11,371,897 51.01%
Materials and Supplies
Other Purchased Svcs 6,994,795 8,581,368 1,586,573 22.681Y.
Contractual Services 5,284,885 10,101,510 4,816,625 91.14%
Rental, Repair, Maintenance 2,643,878 4,214,791 1,570,913 59.42%
Insurance 551,973 7,190,990 6,639,017 1202.78%
Supplies 1,054,702 1,336,224 281,522 26.69%
Expenses 443,502 0 -443,502 -100.00%
Franchise 1,639,062 2,712,148 1,073,086 65.47%
Programs 893,558 817,992 -75,566 -8.46%
Communications 543,447 470,592 -72,855 -13.41%
Equipment 1,454,401 1,158,380 -296,021 -20.35%
Commission 10,243 9,570 -673 -6.57%
Grants 656,586 1,010,718 354,132 53.94%
22,171,032 37,604,283 15,433,251 69.61%
Variance from published Aduals 7,186,417 12,346,402 5,159,985
Published Materials and Services 29,357,449 49,950,685 20,593,236 70.15%
Debt Service
Debt - Principal 2,005,283 3,789,305 1,784,022 88.97%
Debt - Interest 2,014,850 819,167 -1,195,683 -59.34%
4,020,133 4,608,472 588,339 14.63%
Variance from published aduals 308,794 393,265 84,471
Published Debt Service 4,328,927 5,001,737 672,810 15.54%
Capital Outlays
Improvements Other than Bidgs 5,074,671 3,485,342 -1,589,329 -31.32%
Land 0 1,746,667 1,746,667 #DIV/01
Buildings 118 0 -118 -100.00%
5,074,789 5,232,009 157,220 3.10%
Variance from published aduals 1,500,313 29,924,696 28,424,383 1894.56%
Published Capital Outlay 6,575,102 35,156,705 28,581,603 434.69%
Budgetary Requirements
Interfund Loans 0 0 0 #DIV/01
Operation Transfers Out 446,253 2,066,192 1,619,939 363.01%
Contingency 0 0 0 #DIV/01
Ending Fund Balance 0 0 0 #DIV/01
446,253 2,066,192 1,619,939 363.01%
Variance from published aduals 20,052,792 17,242,476 -2,810,316 -14.01%
Published Budgetary Requirements 20,499,045 19,308,668 -1,190,377 -5.81%
Fund Transfers
Internal Charges & Fees 9,168,436 12,529,053 4,043,052 36.65%
Total 63,001,752 93,243,373 30,241,621 48.00%