[RP TownTalk] balancing the budget by letting the infrastructure decay

[Sarah Wayland]

> A municipality can opt to let its infrastructure decay: it need only
> publicly report that it is doing so.

Good point! And I would hope that the electorate would fuss at their
officials for letting that happen.

I stand corrected regarding the "enforcement" implications of my statement.

In the end, the "enforcement" is up to the town and its citizens. But
the accounting standards do, in fact, make it clear that the town is
making that decision. Before, city officials could look like they were
saving money and keeping taxes low, when in fact they were letting the
infrastructure decay, and off-loading future payment to "their
children".

I'm thinking that the new accounting standards probably motivated the
Town of New Carrollton to plan its infrastructure improvements as Jack
Jones described in his message. Hooray for New Carrollton!  I'm hoping
that Riverdale Park can do something similar. And I think the current
round of improvements, while not comprehensive, is a step in the right
direction.

Taxes in Riverdale Park are going up in part because our town
government is now maintaining its infrastructure instead of letting it
decay. And that costs money. As a citizen who is "watching" closely, I
approve. I hope that the members of the outgoing council who voted for
the infrastructure improvements also approve.

-Sarah

-- 
Sarah Wayland
sarah.wayland at gmail.com