James Darnell: Why does city of Merced need fire inspection fees?

The August 2016 city utility bill insert is interesting. It mentions proposed fire fees “designed to recover the direct costs of fire safety inspections.” It notes: “The Merced Fire Department contracted with NBS to analyze the existing fees charged in the City and determine what it costs to conduct the safety inspections.”

Let me get this straight. Our tax dollars go toward city services, such as fire inspections, then a bureaucrat wants to penalize taxpayers cloaking the penalty with the words “recover.” Now, more taxpayer money will be deferred to NBS for what should be the job of a city worker.

Here’s the kicker: “The City Council approved a $200 million budget for the fiscal year 2016-17.”

Sounds like we could eliminate redundancy and save some money. We got stuck with an inflated city budget because being fiscally responsible is no fun when you can play with other people’s money. What’s next? Having to pay for police calls or 911 charges? How about another exorbitant pay raise for City Council members? The more citizens allow these antics to be imposed on them, the more sinister they become. The old adage “knowledge is power” is true. Those who have been elected have been chosen to serve not dictate.

This story was originally published August 22, 2016 at 4:50 PM with the headline "James Darnell: Why does city of Merced need fire inspection fees?."