Keith Hartzell - We need revenue!

I don't think anyone would disagree that we need to find ways to enhance revenue to help bridge growing gaps in the municipal budget. The disagreement seems to stem from how we go about looking for it.
City Council President Keith Hartzell says taxpayers are telling him that their fixed incomes can't handle tax increases.
"We're looking at four or five cents, that's what we are facing," he said. "So revenue is certainly on the table."
Local merchants are upset with Hartzell's recent suggestion that the city should look into putting batting cages and miniature golf at the city's airport.
"I've said it repeatedly since I've been in office, revenue has to be enhanced," he said. "That's why I'm looking at mini-golf and batting cages. We have to look at different ways to increase revenue. I don't want to cut services and bodies. There is no shortage of people looking to lease that property.
"We run parking lots, how is that the parking lots are not competitors? How come no one complains about the parking lots? We compete with business people on them," he added. "A lot of towns have miniature golf. Look at Brigantine. I don't think it would hurt anyone for us to put a golf course at the airport. It's a whole different market.
"People don't want tax increases," he said. "There are people on limited incomes, they can't afford a penny increase let alone five pennies. Wouldn't it be nice if we brought in enough revenue? But we don't.
"Every year I get chastised," he said. "We need to look for revenue sources. We need to try to come out with revenue sources as much as possible.
"Everyone says cut staffing, cut employees, it's so easy to do," he said. "I'm not looking to do that. That's the reality though. People want us to cut staffing, they say we have too many people.
"Let's throw revenue into the mix," he said. "We have a good product, let's try to do better. I'm going to push revenue, a little harder but at the end of the day it would solve a lot of problems.
"This is the people's town, they have to tell us what they want," he said. "They have to make it happen. In a perfect world, everyone would be happy.
"They say government can't run things, I think we can," he said. "Put John Hansen in charge of this and it will do fine.
In reference to Mark Benevento's resistance to the city going into competition with his Ninth Street Pirate Island Golf course, Hartzell said it doesn't make sense.
"The taxpayers at large don't care who runs it," he said.
"Now if we said put golf at Fifth Street by the Boardwalk, yes, that would be competition, we can't do that," he said. "Our city merchants should not be running scared over this. The Town of Green Bay owns the Green Bay Packers. It's not like things aren't being done in other places.
"I want to take a leadership role in this," he said. "I'm trying my hardest to keep taxes down. You have to think out of the box. Seriously, who is offended by this? A few businessmen? The average taxpayer is not. We have go to do something.We have to raise revenue, think outside the box, otherwise we are going to have status quo and higher taxes.
"Who do I represent? The businessmen or the rest of the taxpayers? I have an allegiance to the taxpayers.
"When you see car dealers, you see eight in a row, they each have enough confidence to compete all together.
"Everybody could come out smelling like a rose on this," he said. "At least I'm trying to raise revenue. I see no difference between mini-golf and parking. We have a parking lot right there on the Boardwalk.
"I think I'm right on, other municipalities are doing it," he said.
"When people see their taxes going up four or five cents next year, they are going to appreciate someone trying to do something about this," he said.