Incidents of reported crime remained relatively steady for the month except that vehicle burglaries took a large jump, equaling those reported for the previous two months combined. The total incidents is higher than the same period last year, eight more than Aug, 2007, and one more than July, 2007.
 
Many of the vehicle burglaries were in retail and restaurant areas but a number were also in our neighborhoods, some quite close to one another, as to location and time. Obviously that suggests a relation.
 
I don't know the circumstances in each of these cases but it is always best to park where your vehicle where it will be seen by others. Don't park in a dark area if you will be returning to your car after dark — try to park close to a light that will be burning after sunset. At home, don't leave valuables visible in your car that might tempt a thief.
 
Or, you can leave lots of trash in the back seat that will repulse them. That seems to be my son's plan for my car.
 
Be safety conscious at all times. Report incidents to the police immediately. Report suspicious activities or persons. The non-emergency number is (972) 485-4840. Let's work to keep our families and neighbors safe!
 
If you want to review the areas that have reported incidents over the last month, download the complete report here for address-by-address information that includes your neighborhood.
 

Garland Power & Light News Release:

GP&L Sends Crew to Assist in Louisiana Power Restoration

GP&L crews prepare equipment and trucks prior to leaving for New Roads, Louisiana to assist in power restoration efforts following damage done by Hurricane Gustav.

Garland, Texas — September 4, 2008 — Garland Power & Light (GP&L) is sending a crew of volunteer personnel to assist in restoring power to the 2,000 municipal electric customers of New Roads, Louisiana.
 
New Roads, located 35 miles northwest of Baton Rouge, has been without power since Hurricane Gustav hit the Gulf Coast earlier this week. The call for assistance was made today by Elie Part, Public Works Director for New Roads.
 
“Mr. Part told us that their system was completely down, and with the damage throughout Louisiana, he was unsure when he could get local help to make the repairs to their electric system,” said Johnny Carlock, GP&L’s Transmission and Distribution Director.
 
GP&L will be sending an eight-man crew with three bucket trucks and several special-purpose vehicles. “We’re getting our equipment and personnel ready to head out,” said Carlock. “Our linemen are anxious to get to New Roads and begin working,” he added.
 
GP&L has previously assisted other municipal electric utilities restore power following storm damage. Crews were dispatched to East Texas following Hurricane Rita in 2006 and to Oklahoma during last winter’s ice storm.

A Dallas Morning News article today gave some last minute coverage on the budget process and citizen input that has been received.
 
It is unprecedented that the city would seek suggestions to the degree that was done this year. As quoted in the article, those suggestions are valuable and will probably be more so preparing for the next budget.
 
Also in the article, I express my concern for the elimination of the Cost of Living Allowance that has traditionally been provided through the state's retirement system. Few understand the full reasons for the implosion of the system but much of the problem stems from the type of investments in the system's portfolio. They weren't risky investments. In fact, the investments were so safe that there wasn't sufficient returns to meet future obligations. The system is being overhauled but the damage has been done.
 

To continue funding the TRMS COLA, the City's contribution would have to rise to 23.13% ($11.7 million) by 2016 and continue at that level through 2038.

 
City Manager Bill Dollar explains in his transmittal letter: "All City of Garland employees participate in the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TRMS) through through payroll deductions and City-funded plan contributions. Due to changes in the actuarial methodologies utilized by TRMS, the City's contribution rate is projected to increase over the next eight years from 15.67% to 23.13%."
 
The contribution this year would be $700,000 and would rise to $11.7 million per year, starting in 2016. For taxpayers to fund that amount would equal an 11 cent increase in the tax rate, which is equivalent to a 16% tax hike.
 
There is a slight misquote in the article: I don't know that I will find a way to solve the problem. I am dedicated to finding a solution but it is Mr. Dollar that first committed himself, his staff, and professional consultants to exploring possible options over the next year and bringing their findings to the Council and he reiterated that commitment Thursday night. Credit should be given where credit is due.
 
There will be opportunity in the next Legislature to correct some of the problems with TRMS but the COLA isn't among the priorities because there are even greater concerns.
 
To some of the other points covered in the article, such as closing Ridgewood Library and the engines vs ambulances question, I will address Monday.
 

Garland Residents Voice Ideas for City Cutbacks

08:58 AM CDT on Sunday, August 31, 2008
By FRANK TREJO / The Dallas Morning News
ftrejo@dallasnews.com
 

Garland residents' thrifty ideas   The city of Garland invited residents to propose budget changes online. Among the suggestions: Change bulk trash pickup from weekly to monthly, with special runs after storms. Consider selling sections of "our large, mostly under-utilized public parks" for development such as town homes and using proceeds to improve neighborhoods. Consider raising taxes "to help maintain the great services we currently receive. I strongly oppose the proposal to close the Ridgewood Library." Move to a four-day work week "and shut off the lights." Raise thermostats 5 degrees. Have employees pay more of their health insurance. Use nonviolent prisoners to clean up the city and paint. "Put these people to work." "Turn off streetlights at night! People will sleep better. It will keep things cooler. Of course it will save on electricity! All houses must use motion detector lights (if they want a light on their house) after they go to bed." Sell naming rights for parks, ball fields or recreation centers.

As Garland City Council members have worked to craft a new budget for lean times, they've had no shortage of suggestions from residents – both in person and online.
 
At a public hearing Thursday and another earlier this month, people crowded City Hall to oppose proposed cuts that would affect their communities. Chief among their concerns were closing the Ridgewood Branch Library, taking two fire engines out of service and eliminating cost-of-living increases for retirees.
 
Meanwhile, for the first time, the city offered a place on its Web site for residents to suggest ways to cut costs. In less than a month, it received about 75 entries proposing everything from reducing bulk trash pickup to selling parts of large parks for development.
 
"It's really amazing, the number of people who responded to the survey," council member Douglas Athas said. "Unfortunately, maybe we should have done it sooner and taken advantage of more ideas. But next year's going to be an even tougher year, and we'll be able to take advantage of those ideas as we go through the process."
 
The proposed budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1 is scheduled for a council vote Tuesday. It includes a 1.1-cent increase in the property tax rate, to 69.96 cents per $100 of property value. The increase is for debt service.
 
"I think the process went extremely well," Mayor Ronald Jones said. "From the feedback I've gotten from the various groups, they felt we listened to them. ... I am extremely delighted in the way the council came together and worked hard."
 
Mr. Jones said that despite differences of opinion, both on the council and among residents, most recognized the tough financial reality the city is facing.
 
"We're making the necessary adjustments to keep this city moving forward, and the public safety will continue to be protected," Mr. Jones said.
 
While some changes have been made, council members indicated the budget would continue to include the closing of the library branch and putting the two fire engines out of service. It also will probably include elimination of the retiree cost-of-living increases.
 
Mr. Athas said the retiree benefit was one of the items he felt strongest about preserving. He said he intended to find a way to reinstate the cost-of-living increases in the 2009-10 budget.
 
"Not only is it important to stay competitive with other cities, but I think it's the right thing to do," Mr. Athas said. "It's important that we find some solution."
 
City officials noted that the Ridgewood Branch Library was already scheduled for closing as part of a 10-year plan adopted in 2006. And officials said the fire chief had assured the council that public safety wouldn't be compromised by removing the two fire engines from service.
 
The proposed budget includes putting an ambulance in each of the city's 11 fire stations.
 

When I posted the information on declining home prices yesterday, I didn't occur to me that an article on the same data would appear in the Dallas Morning News the next morning. Real estate editor Steve Brown wrote a comprehensive article that looked at the Dallas and national markets. While the home price drop the last year in Dallas has been 3.2%, nationally across the markets surveyed the drop is 15.9%.
 
My emphasis was that appraisal values in 2008 will decline and when tabulated with the relative declines we have experienced the last three years, it seems inevitable that we will have another difficult budget in 2009. While I stress that no one can see the future (and that it has a wonderful way of not doing what is expected), the only prudent course is caution.

Comparing three markets, Miami, Detroit, and Dallas, the quick rise and as quick fall of Miami is typical of many markets. Dallas home prices have been much more modest than most other markets and the the drop much less. Detroit was the worst performing market and the decline is in negative territory compared to prices in January 2000. Source: Standard & Poors/Case-Shiller

Today's article expresses some optimism in a few ways that I didn't stress yesterday: the Texas market has not had the steep run-up and fall or the drastic decline seen in other markets, and declines do appear to be slowing, maybe even nearing the bottom.
 

Area Home Prices' Drop Stays Steady

National study puts Dallas houses at 3.2% lower than they were a year ago
 
10:40 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 26, 2008
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News
stevebrown@dallasnews.com
 

Source: Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller and the DMN; Style concept: Kyle Alcott/DMN Staff Artist

Dallas-area home prices continue to drift lower, dropping 3.2 percent over last year in the latest national study.
 
But there were indications in the report that home prices in North Texas are bottoming.
Also Online
 
The drop in local home prices has remained at just over 3 percent for several months in the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index, which was released Tuesday.
 
Dallas' small decline was just a fraction of the nationwide drop, a record 15.9 percent in the 20 cities included in the survey.
 
"While there is no national turnaround in residential real estate prices, it is possible that we are seeing some regions struggling to come back, which has resulted in some moderation in price declines at the national level," Standard & Poor's David M. Blitzer said in the monthly report. "The rate of home price decline may be slowing."
 
In the Dallas area, home prices were up a scant 0.7 percent from May to June.
 
But researchers are cautious about using month-over-month comparisons.
 
"Don't forget we're in the middle of the annual sales season, so things are generally the best then," said economist James Gaines of Texas A&M University's Real Estate Center.
 
"On the other hand, we've been saying for some time that the Texas markets have weathered the housing bust storm much better than most areas, Dallas included most especially.
 
"I guess the word might be to be cautiously optimistic that the Dallas market has reached or is reaching a bottom, but sales volumes will continue to be down relative to the frenzied activity of 2005-2006."
 
Another survey out Tuesday – from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, or OFHEO – found that home prices in the Dallas area were up about 2 percent at midyear from the same time in 2007.
 
But the report uses a narrower housing sample than Case-Shiller: only homes financed by government-sponsored mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
 
Case-Shiller tracks the prices of typical single-family homes in each metropolitan area.
 

Cities across the state and nation are experiencing a lean tax year and having to adjust. Hopefully, most will take the opportunity to look closely at their spending rather than take the easy route of just raising the tax rate. Raising taxes in a weak economy is a classic mistake, while lowering taxes can stimulate a weak economy.
 
Garland is looking at cutting expenses deeply and raising the tax rate 1.1¢. The cuts are to the Operations and Maintenance Budget (O&M), which has had the same tax rate for the past three years. The 1.1¢ bump would be to cover rising debt payments associated with the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). The rates are combined to calculate our ad valorem (property tax) rate.
 
Historically, most of Garland's tax base was residential although the overall percentage has been falling. This year, it has fallen below 60% of the total, primarily because the value of our residential base has remained flat or fallen, like this year, while our commercial and industrial portions have risen some. Cities got a big bonus last year when the appraisal district aggressively evaluated commercial properties, believing them to be greatly undervalued. There was some residual bump this year, too.
 
However, most of tax base is still on the residential side. This year the existing residential base fell $74 million. We have had decline in that sector for four years but new construction has helped offset the decline to keep the numbers static. While static sounds sort of okay, it's not keeping pace with inflation, so it still represents decline.
 
The burst of the real estate bubble, pierced strongly by the mortgage failures and the resulting foreclosures, drove a lot of property values down in 2007. That decline directly represents a tax revenue decline to the city. But what about next year?

Next year will be worse. According to Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, home prices fell in February to the lowest point since March, 2005. Those low sale numbers will depress the other properties in the vicinity. Residential evaluations for 2008, that will be used to fund the 2009 Budget, will be lower than this year.
 
The index was released Tuesday and showed that national home prices had dropped at the sharpest rate ever in the second quarter. The news was better for the Dallas area, with a rise starting in March.
 
As I said to the Council at our last work session, this year isn't hard. We know what we have and we know what we have to do. A lot of the cuts are regrettable but cutting is unavoidable. Next year is when it gets hard. Should this Council fail to make the responsible fiscal decisions this year, the pains required next year will be greater and compounded.
 
Some have asked the Council to raise their taxes to fund programs that they genuinely value. We just simply don't have enough rope left to keep raising the tax rate and fees. Our taxes are too high compared to most of our sister cities and our debt is much higher. Our utility fees are among the highest in the area, only electricity is a bargain. When the tax rate increases, it doesn't affect just the six or sixty saying higher taxes are okay, but 230,000 residents.
 
I read recently, "If you rob Peter to pay Paul, you can always count on the support of Paul." We know Paul's position; we have to consider the impact to 230,000 Peters, too.
 

Source: www.KnoWhat2Do.com

City of Garland News Release:

Garland Events to Focus on Disaster Awareness and Preparedness

Garland, Texas — August 25, 2008 — North Central Texans are all too familiar with how rapidly events change. From severe weather to terror threats, life has trained citizens to be on alert. City and county governments are hard at work to make sure people are protected. It is a team effort, ensuring that each person will KnoWhat2Do.
 
September is National Preparedness Month, a time we reach out to the community so we can all learn to KnoWhat2Do. North Central Texans already have access to a disaster preparedness program developed by local jurisdictions with information specific to our region. The Web site www.KnoWhat2Do.com is a complete resource—helping people identify the hazards that threaten our area, and detailing ways to be prepared. It also provides useful information about volunteering and donating to victims. Think. Prepare. Act.
 
This month, North Central Texans also have opportunities to be a part of learning and training events right here in Garland. These are opportunities for people to educate themselves about disaster planning and relief, right where they live and work:

Unidos - Garland Police Department 1891 Forest Lane, Garland Tuesday, September 9, 7 p.m. (for Spanish Speakers)

Firewheel Town Center - SH 78 and President George Bush Tpke, Garland Saturday, September 13, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Wal-Mart - 1801 Market Place Drive, Garland Saturday, September 20, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Please visit the Office of Emergency Management’s website at www.garland-oem.com or call (972) 205-2605 to learn about other preparedness activities happening in September and to request information on how you are your family can be READY when the unexpected happens!
 
KnoWhat2Do. Developed through the collaboration of our North Central Texas regional governments, the KnoWhat2Do campaign reaches out to millions of people in our 16-county region. Through the Web site www.KnoWhat2Do.com, a bi-lingual educational DVD and preparedness guide full of fast facts and tips, users find instant information on disaster preparedness. There are steps people can take to safeguard themselves and their families. Think. Prepare. Act. www.KnoWhat2Do.com