Get Creative, Middletown! How Can City Fill Coffers?

This week in city hall, we overheard staff talking about the mayor’s request to personnel asking for creative ways to raise revenue for the city.

Some ideas floated included a local sales tax, which was quickly rejected, and increasing dog ($8) and liquor licenses ($2). But these are hardly creative and arguably wouldn’t bring in huge sums to the city’s coffers.

Other cities across the nation have increased parking fines, are charging a fee on plastic grocery bags, and are selling advertising space — on bridges and buildings.

Looks like Parks and Recreation's spring and summer brochure has gotten lean and mean, too, by taking to the web. Eliminating registration forms and placing them online has allowed the brochure to downsize from 32 pages in 2012 to 18 this year — and reduce its size from 8½ by 11 inches to half that size.

Schools have innovative ways to increase funding, by appealing to alumni donations, bake sales, and even corporate advertising, but municipality can hardly sell giant candy bars at city hall. Large companies save funds by contracting — cutting needless expenses, consolidating jobs, and saving salaries and benefit costs through attrition.

Mayor Dan Drew's task force on efficiency in government has come up with a host of solutions, including the creation of “super departments” through merging, offering retirement incentives and decreasing energy bills.

With the wealth of fertile minds in Middletown, we’re looking for your serious suggestions on how to increase city revenue without raising taxes.

• City Hall Efficiency Focus of Mayor's New Task Force
• Task Force: Merging City Departments Will Save Money
• P&Z Commissioner: Mayor's Riverfront Zoning Task Force is Politics as Usual
• Former Parks Director: Mayor's Reorganization Plan Fueled by Cronyism
• Mayor Announces Dramatic Energy Improvements at Palmer Field

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