LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To the Editor:

Some 82 percent of the budget is expended for pay and benefits. As of September 30, 2000 58 employees were paid approximately $2.6 million for an average cost per employee of $45,000 per year.

By April 2010 personnel costs for pay and benefits have increased to $8.8 million for 85 employees. The average cost per employee now exceeds $100,000 per year. Some 77 percent now receive annual compensation in excess of $100,000 per year.

Only five employees receive yearly compensation under $75,000. Given the current pay structure in the not-too-distant future more than 90 percent of the department will receive annual compensation in excess of $100,000 per year.

Do you receive pay and benefits in excess of $100,000 a year? Do you work for a business that pays more than $100,000 a year for more than 75 percent of its employees?

In the last 10 years pay has increased more than twice the rate of inflation.

Year after year the fire board has increased the millage tax rate to the current three miles, the maximum allowed by law. Over the last several months the fire board has discussed ways to double the fire tax through a per parcel assessment.

Is there any end in sight to this tax-and-spend, and spend and tax method of operation.

Soon the cost of pay and benefits will exceed the maximum tax revenue at the maximum millage rate leaving nothing for operational expenses.

The Homestead exemption does not apply to the fire tax. Every dollar of your property assessment is taxed at full value. Every taxpayer in the Lehigh Acres area pays the full tax.

We the taxpayers pay 100 percent of the salary and benefits including health insurance and retirement contributions with the exception of the 50 percent share by the employee of the Social Security tax.

When you also consider the cost of retirement benefits the cost per employee is more then $200,000 per year.

This is lavish pay and benefits by any definition.

The union and management are at an impasse on the new contract. The union has refused to accept the proposed cuts.

The fire district is currently seeking a two-year federal grant with the idea of hiring 30 or more additional employees.

This will add millions of dollars per year in costs. When this federal bailout expires in two years, we will be faced with a multimillion dollar deficit. This is our local example of the Greek disease.

The public employees get richer and you and me, the taxpayers get poorer.

The per capita income of Lehigh acres is less than $25,000 per year. Most of us are struggling to pay the bills and put food on the table.

The solution is straightforward and simple.

Cut pay and benefits to fair and realistic levels. Management has proposed a 15 percent across-the-board pay cut and a 40 percent contribution for medical benefits.

Given the excessive pay and benefit increases over the last 10 years a 25 percent across-the-board pay cut is required to get this pay structure in line with reality.

Out of control public spending is destroying this nation. It is long overdue that financial responsibility be reestablished for government. It is up to you and me – the voters – to restore financial sanity.

Kevin Shea

Lehigh Acres