New!
FairfaxSaysNo identifies $298,558 of discrepancies in Town financial reports!
We have identified significant financial reporting issues in the Town of Fairfax. Read all about it!
We respond to Mayor Bragman's claims
Mayor Bragman has responded to our findings, using what he claims is factual data to back up his assertions. Please read our rebuttal to see how he's distorting our claims!
Want a fair way to balance the budget? How about making an accurate budget?
The Town of Fairfax is asking its citizens to approve a half-cent sales tax in order to make up for a budget shortfall. Town officials cite several causes of the shortfall:
- Recovery costs from the disastrous flood.
- Increasing pension and health care costs.
- The State of California "grabbing" money from local governments.
- Reduced property tax revenues.
- Reduced sales tax revenues.
These arguments sound believable on the surface, but when looked at with a critical eye, it is obvious that the justifications are not only false, they're based on a complete lack of fiscal responsibility or accurate financial reporting from Town staff and our elected representatives.
Proponents and Town officials spout a lot of rhetoric and a few numbers, but they cannot back up any of their claims, especially if you look at the official financial records. In fact, they don't even try to! But we've looked at the Town's official financial statements and learned that the finances of the Town are in such disarray that our elected representatives are unable to tell illusion from reality.
- Caution: Reality Ahead!
- Property tax revenues have increased 2.5% overall since 2006!1
- Overall revenues have increased 17% since 2005!
- Sales tax revenues have increased 0.5% overall since 2006!1
- Payroll is 60% of overall general fund expenditures, not 80%!
- The State of California gave back the property tax revenues they attempted to grab in 2010!
- The Town is spending 26% more overall than in 2005!
- Departmental spending is universally higher in all departments than in 2005, with an overall increase of 24%!
- The Town of Fairfax consistently brings in an average of $450,000 more revenue every year than is forecast by the budget!
Proponents of Measure D have stated that our arguments are "misleading and [our] conclusions lack factual basis," that the Town finances "undergo a rigorous audit by independent Certified Public Accountants," and that these audits "definitely state that all Town revenues and expenditures have been properly accounted for."2 Therefore, we have utilized those official audits to prove to voters that Measure D's proponents and Town officials are incapable of understanding their own documentation!
And we're not afraid to tell you precisely where we get our data or show you how to replicate it yourself!
Please join us in sending a message to Town Hall by voting NO on Measure D. Tell them to FIX THE MESS!
- 1We would love to show you property tax and sales tax revenues from 2005, since overall revenues increased 17% from 2005 to 2006 alone. However the FY2004-05 Audit does not provide enough transparency for us to do so! ↩
- 2Source: "Rebuttal to Argument Against Measure D" printed in the Sample Ballot sent to all registered voters. ↩