By Brian Massie, Citizen Journalist, Watchman on the Wall
I attended the Laketran Board Meeting yesterday and was stunned by their financial strength. No wonder the unions were looking for pay increases, and received increases of 7%, 3%, 3% for the next three years. Also, I want the citizens to know that Laketran collects $22.5 million each year in sales tax, and has a stated goal of changing your way of life.
Laketran’s goal is to take as many cars off the street to improve air quality. From attending the NOACA meetings, I can say that this goal is completely bogus, and the Board of Directors should be ashamed of themselves. If we have poor air quality, it is because the prevailing winds send us the polluted air from Cleveland, Detroit, etc. I dare say we could remove every car, and mandate that people ride a bike to work, and our air quality would not change.
Let’s start with their financial strength by looking at their balance sheet as of April 30, 2023 versus April 30, 2022.
Please note that their Unrestricted Net Position (Assets less Liabilities) for April 30, 2023 is $59,136,347 compared to $44,514.401 for April 30, 2022. That is a $14,621,946 (32.8%) increase in one year.
Look at their cash balance for April 30, 2022 – $55,945,414…How is your cash balance lately with the double digit inflation caused by the Democrats’ insane energy policies?
Let’s review Laketran’s Special Transportation Service. It is a charter service for municipal and non-profit organizations to areas throughout Northeast Ohio. Unfortunately, Laketran wants to compete with the privately owned charter buses, who are not subsidized by State and Federal grants, giving Laketran an unfair advantage. I understand that some Lake County municipalities have their own buses and, therefore, have no need for Laketran’s STS Service.
Look what the STS guarantees the citizens of Lake County:
Green Transportation: “Laketran’s goal is to take as many cars off the road to improve Northeast Ohio’s air quality.”
Are you ready to give up your car, and hop on your bike to work?…I didn’t think so…
We are asking again for Laketran to give back the 1/4% sales tax collected in 2019. There is a new jail that needs to be built.
The Lake County political subdivisions are “sucking the lifeblood” out of taxpayers with the excessive taxes in sales, income, and property taxes. Deepwood, Lake Metroparks, Lakeland Community College, ADAMHS Board, Crime Lab, etc. are all accumulating cash because Prosecutor Coulson has neutralized the Budget Commission, who is supposed to be the “watchdog” for the taxpayers on excessive taxation. No one is looking out for the financial well-being of the average Lake County citizen! I ask someone in this County to prove me wrong! Let me know if you have knowledge of a political subdivision reducing taxes.
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Categories: Lake County - General, Lake County Politics