Posted: 3/4/2014 6:26:42 AM EDT
For any of you living in Des Moines. A major Whiskey Tango Foxtrot situation  . We are asked to add a fee on to our Utility bill to repay ourselves or live with the threat of higher property taxes. This is all due to the hubris of the city council when they were called out on this fee some time back.
Taken from KCCI Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday as voters decide how to handle the franchise fee case, and who will join the city council. Des Moines voters are being asked to approve a plan for the city to repay $40 million to utility customers. Courts ruled the fee was illegal at the time and a refund must be given to customers. City officials said money to repay the charges on customers will have to come from a new fee charged on your utility bill. If rejected property taxes would likely be increased to cover the cost. The ballot reads, "To avoid property tax increases or cuts to City services, shall the following City of Des Moines City Council Ordinance to temporarily increase the franchise fee for the next seven consecutive fiscal years to be used solely toward payment of the Kragnes v. City of Des Moines judgment be approved?" Voters will also fill the Ward 4 City Council seat vacated by Brian Meyer. Joe Gatto and Joe Henry are running for the seat. |
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Quoted:
This is about the stupidest thing I have heard... You want to charge me money to pay me money??? WTF? The dumb broad that brought the law suit in the first place, plus her lawyers are the one ones that make out on this deal.... what a crock of shit... (end rant)  Looks to me like they should just have the $40 million laying around somewhere... "The suit claims that the Defendant violated Iowa law by imposing a gas and an electric franchise fee in excess of its actual cost of regulation" "and a refund of all amounts paid in excess of the legal amount" from here http://www.dsmfranchisefeesuit.com/ |
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LOL
They charged you an illegal fee so now they are going to charge you with basically the same fee under a new name in order to pay back the money they illegally took from you. If you don't agree to the new fee they will raise your taxes some where else. LOL ...but hey you have the right to vote so you have freedom right? |
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Quoted:
LOL They charged you an illegal fee so now they are going to charge you with basically the same fee under a new name in order to pay back the money they illegally took from you. If you don't agree to the new fee they will raise your taxes some where else. LOL ...but hey you have the right to vote so you have freedom right? No kidding. The city should be forced to cut spending somewhere else to pay it back,not this pathetic bullshit. Every elected official in Des Moines needs to be thrown out of office over this idiotic deal.(Glad I don't live there) |
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VICTORY!!!
http://www.kcci.com/news/voters-to-tackle-40m-utility-case-19m-bond-issue/24776004 Franchise Fee Public Measure A Yes - 8477 Votes (85%) No - 1462 Votes (15%) Des Moines voters were asked to approve a plan for the city to repay $40 million to utility customers. Courts ruled the fee was illegal at the time and a refund must be given to customers. City officials said money to repay the charges on customers will have to come from a new fee charged on your utility bill. The ballot read, "To avoid property tax increases or cuts to City services, shall the following City of Des Moines City Council Ordinance to temporarily increase the franchise fee for the next seven consecutive fiscal years to be used solely toward payment of the Kragnes v. City of Des Moines judgment be approved?" Congrats to all you Des Moines residents!!That 7 years of payments will fly by......... |
| Even though it sucks, this was the better option of the two choices. The franchise tax was implemented years ago to provide for public safety and other items by making tax exempt properties pay a portion for city services. When the lawsuit came and won, the city was ordered to pay the illegal franchise fee back. That fee was made legal a few years ago by the state legislature anyway. The vote was to apply a further increase to the franchise fee to cover the lawsuit expense. Why it's the better choice than property taxes is that all properties that use the utilities covered under the franchise fee have to pay, not just the properties that have to pay property tax. This way it continues to apply fees to tax exempt properties and not lay all of the burden on the taxpayer. |
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Quoted:
No kidding. The city should be forced to cut spending somewhere else to pay it back,not this pathetic bullshit. Every elected official in Des Moines needs to be thrown out of office over this idiotic deal.(Glad I don't live there) Quoted:
Quoted:
LOL They charged you an illegal fee so now they are going to charge you with basically the same fee under a new name in order to pay back the money they illegally took from you. If you don't agree to the new fee they will raise your taxes some where else. LOL ...but hey you have the right to vote so you have freedom right? No kidding. The city should be forced to cut spending somewhere else to pay it back,not this pathetic bullshit. Every elected official in Des Moines needs to be thrown out of office over this idiotic deal.(Glad I don't live there) The city of Des Moines has a history of giving tax payer dollars to useless and expensive programs and undeserving citizens who don't appreciate the good will provided by those who pay the taxes and fees and it will never stop. There is NO WHERE to cut from. The entire City Council needs to go away and start over again. They set a bad example for the rest of the State to follow. kwg |