This November is going to be a big election for Gateway. Two seats are up for grabs and your vote can drastically change how business is done in this community. David Lethem is running for one of the seats and every week we will ask Lethem a question about the district so you know his views on the issues well in advance of the election. This week, we asked him whether Gateway still needed a C.D.D.
Lethem:
A CDD exists to serve its community, by providing a quality of life, certain services (water, sewer, recreation, special events, etc), safety, and infrastructure. These services, and others, are provided for the common good of its residents. And of course, we residents pay for the services through our property taxes and direct billings water, sewer, irrigation). There has been some discussion with residents of Gateway regarding doing away with the CDD. Some of this is borne out of frustration with the Board on a variety of issues, the condition of certain of our roads/sidewalks, and an overall mistrust of elected officials.
In order to answer this question, we have to really assess the overall operations of the CDD, and how it is managed. Supervisor Sichel has asked the Board for an external review of the entire CDD, how it operates, what options are available to improve internal processes, and do we have any alternatives to improve? I believe Supervisor Sichel is on the right track. Residents of Gateway should expect their tax dollars not only be spent wisely, but there should also be a sense of stewardship by the Board for the overall quality and livelihood of the district. For example, our water rates, when compared to neighboring entities, are fairly low, which could be considered a "win" for us. However, when you look at the infrastructure of the CDD, you see unchecked spending, a reactive managment style, and a lack of forward vision for the most part. It is imperative the Board take a step back and "gutcheck" itself....are we properly organized? Are we providing the best "bang for the buck"?
Can we do it better and less costly? Are we charging for services that could be done more efficiently by someone else? Without answers to these questions, the CDD cannot justify its existance. As a community, we spend approximately $1.2 million dollars on landscape services...where's the benchmark? With maybe one or two exceptions, I don't think anyone has analyzed this, or any other major expense, and proven beyond a doubt that this either is a great deal for the residents or a poor deal for the residents. In the real world, major expenditures must be cost justified and an internal rate of return must be obtained before any expenditure approval is given..what's our return on landscaping, engineering fees, attorney fees, salaries, etc.?
The Gateway CDD must challenge itself to be run more efficiently and effectively...if not, there will come a point and time where we, as residents, can find a better alternative to providing the services we
need for out tax dollars.
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