Deadline Warren

Fines, revenue, and Warren

It's hard to predict what readers will focus on when you write a story. Sunday, I wrote about Warren's efforts to raise more money to bolster a shaky budget -- this year is tight and next year could be tighter still. The main point of the story was the administration's effort to collect about $150,000 in delinquent parking fees. But the administration also has asked department heads for suggestions to raise revenue. Margaret Scott, Municipal Court clerk of courts, said the only way the courts bring in more money is for police officers to issue more citations. What Scott said is absolutely true. The courts cannot increase the size of fines or court costs. Those are set by the state Legislature and City Council. For more money to come in through the court, there have to be more citations. She noted, but I did not include in the story, that the number of citations have been down in recent years. Scott was merely stating facts in response to the administration's inquiry. Nowhere did she or anyone else say Warren police SHOULD go out and write more tickets. But that is what readers picked up on. Voice of Reason posted a comment that said in part, "Are you kidding Warren? Issue more citations and beat down the public to increase revenue? Where’s Robin Hood?" Surv69 said "Since the city thinks that citations is a viable source for more revenue, maybe the city should REQUIRE the police to issue "x" amount of citations, worth "x" amount of dollars.

The police could work like "piece-work". Once a "target" number of citations are given for the day, that police-officer can go home. " And Tonelli said, " There you have it folks, the truth of what you are to Warren City. Revenue! I suppose now the police will be ticketing and arresting people for nearly nothing now in the name of job security." Even after BigDaddy is tried to bring the discussion back to the delinquent parking fines, VanBuren said, "So yes, I think the city wants to invent ways to squeeze money from the public. And one of those ways will be giving out more tickets and fines for spitting." It seems pretty clear that a lot of people are tired of the city balancing its budget by raising taxes, fees, rates or fines. That should be a word of warning to Councilmen Andy Barkley and Robert Dean, who have proposed a city sin tax. And I don't think there is much doubt about the way Voice of Reason and the others feel about Dean's effort to bring to Warren traffic cameras that catch drivers who speed or crash red lights. That, after all, is a way to improve safety and increase the number of citations.