A2: Sidewalks

Included as a part of the city council’s Aug. 4 agenda information packet is a summary of responses to the city’s online survey on the topic of slightly increasing the street repair millage, up for renewal in November 2011, to include sidewalk repairs. Sidewalk repairs have up to now been the responsibility of property owners. The survey reflects overwhelming sentiment that it should be the city’s responsibility to repair the sidewalks.

But the survey reflects some resistance to the idea that an increase in taxes is warranted. From the free-responses: “Stop wasting taxpayer money on parking structures, new city buildings, and public art. You are spending money like drunken sailors while we’re in the worst recession since the Great Depression.” Balanced against that are responses like this: “I strongly endorse the idea of the city taking responsibility for maintaining the sidewalks and am certainly willing to pay for it in the form of a millage in the amount cited in this survey.”  [Source]