RETURNING TO FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY

By Daniel J. Hanus

We will support and implement a property tax roll back for Montgomery taxpayers. We intend to substantially reduce City expenses while maintaining and improving essential services.

• * Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes has estimated that the average property re-evaluation in Montgomery will increase 12.65%

• * The City of Montgomery has a surplus of $1.6 million earned from property, income and inheritance tax collections

The number of City employees, not including the Fire Division, has increased from a 1980 level of 28 to a 1999 level of 55, an increase of 92% to serve essentially the same number of people

We intend to substantially reduce City expenses while maintaining and improving essential services. We will immediately appoint a Citizens Committee to evaluate current government operations and make recommendations for efficiency and improvement.

Montgomery's debt climbed from $5 million in 1988-89 to over $18 million in 1998, a 260% increase

=> In 1999, the City will pay $624,654 in interest on General Obligation Debt alone We intend to set aside $1 1/2million of the 1998 surplus for debt reduction. We intend to give the citizens of Montgomery the right to vote on a Charter Revision that will limit the amount of Total Debt and Individual Debt that the City can incur without the approval of the voters.