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Residents and coalition urge council to lower taxes, question staffing and capital spending
Summary
Speakers at the budget hearing criticized Hampton's tax levels and questioned capital spending priorities and personnel costs, suggesting alternatives such as taxing RVs and urging more fiscal restraint.
Multiple public speakers told the council Hampton's taxes are too high and urged fiscal restraint.
Hugh Bassett, representing the Oakland Citizens Coalition, told the council "Hampton has the highest taxes on the Peninsula at 124 per per 100 assessed value," and urged the council to pursue tax reductions, noting many members are senior citizens on fixed incomes. Bassett also proposed considering a tax on recreational vehicles to address perceived inequities.
Gil Kowalski questioned capital priorities cited in the proposed budget, pointing to a $3.1 million allocation for half a mile of King Street beautification versus $5.5 million for citywide street resurfacing and questioned a proposed 3 percent employee raise, saying "cutting 1% from the budget isn't hard." These comments framed public concerns about prioritizing capital projects, personnel costs and fairness of fee adjustments during the FY2016 budget deliberations.
