Kaysen Says Sanitation Fees Help Fund City Programs

Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen says that while he understands that some people don't like increasing sanitation fees in view of the fact that they raise money beyond what is neccesary to fund sanitation operations, the money generated helps pay for other areas of city government that can't generate their own funding.

Kaysen points to Parks and Recreation, the Greenway Program, the Police Department and Cheyenne Fire and Rescue as among the areas of city government that don't generate the money to fund their own operations. Kaysen also notes various laws and statutes  severly restrict the fees that can be imposed for many government operations, making it virtually impossible for many areas of city government to pay for themselves.

Kaysen also says that for years some people have supported making sanitation an enterprise fund, which would mean the money generated by sanitation would be legally restricted to funding sanitation operations. He says that would hamper funding in those other areas. The city Council Finance Committee on Monday declined to support increasing the santitation fees by 3.4 percent, with a proposal to do so dying for the lack of a second in committee.

But despite the lack of support in committee the full city council will still have the final word on the proposed increases. The city council will meet on Tuesday of next week because of the Memorial Day Holiday on Monday.