This Sewer Tax Stinks!

Oct 26, 2012

Between the TDD, TIF, Sewer Bond and Road construction I was told our city will be $100,000,000 more in debt at the end of this year than 18 months before. DO WE REALLY WANT THAT?

That’s sounds more like Washington D.C. NOT POPLAR BLUFF!

Over the last few years I’ve become more and more aware of the wasteful spending of Municipal Utilities. Just ask someone in the know one of these questions:

How much money does the City LOSE from the Plum Point Energy Plant in Arkansas?

How much money do we LOSE by having our own electric generator that doesn’t operate but a few times a year?



I was told by an anonymous source that the CITY LOSES approximately $3,000,000 (yea, $3 Million) every year on these two line items. A $3 million dollar yearly loss because those in charge have made terrible decisions.

Have you heard that one of our new water towers cannot be filled to the max because it wasn’t built at the right height and causes backflow water problems in our system?

How can we trust MU with $20,000,000 more?

Between the TDD, TIF, Sewer Bond and Road construction I was told our city will be $100,000,000 more in debt at the end of this year than a year ago. DO WE REALLY WANT THAT?

Say NO to the Sewer Tax!

Vote No on the following question on November 6th:

CITY OF POPLAR BLUFF, MISSOURI, QUESTON
Shall the City of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, issue its combined waterworks and sewerage system revenue bonds in the amount of $20,000,000.00 for the purpose of extending and improving the City’s combined waterworks and sewerage system, the cost of operation and maintenance of said combined waterworks and sewerage system and the principal of and interest on said revenue bonds to be payable solely from the revenues derived by the City from the operation of its combined waterworks and sewerage system, including all future improvements and extensions thereto?

  1. Sammy W.

    wasn’t it either do a $20 million bond now, through some agreement the city reached with the EPA, or spend like $60 million instead to build a new plant? seems like a no brainer

    1. Brian Becker

      The point is, Sammy, that we can’t trust their numbers. $90 million if we don’t give them $20 million. Of course that makes sense, but they never prove it…we just have to believe them. And I say it is time to stop believing them and make them show us the math. Remember, the same guy that came up with these figures forgot to amortize a $5.5M capital expense in his report on Open Access which threw his numbers off by a factor of 120. We cannot take their numbers at face value…

  2. oris swearingin

    Greetings,
    Should something like this have been voted on first? Let the people who will pay decide. This is what happens when big government wana be’s are elected in a small town. I say vote all the big spenders out along with their president. Shouldn’t a decent person ask before they implement legal extortion on your tax dollars.

    1. Brian Becker

      That’s what the Vote on November 6th is about…We need people to VOTE NO on the Sewer question at the end of the ballot. The question is marked “City of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Question”

  3. jim stevens

    Do you have to complain about everything the city does? Why have a personal vendetta against them? It makes you look you have issues guy. Go ahead and delete my post as im sure you wont post it.