Mason Matters April / May 2011
Inside This Issue:
2 From the City Manager 3 Mason Community Center Outlook 3 Ready to File your Taxes? 4 Around Mason 4 More Changes Coming to City Website
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City Tightens Its Belt
ike its residents, the City of Mason continues to feel the impact of the economic recession. The following is a brief summary of the city’s General Fund at the end of 2010.
General Fund Revenue
General Fund Expenditures/2011 Budget
In response to the declining revenue, the City of Mason has taken action to reduce and control costs while minimizing the impact of contractual commitments and rising costs on services. Since 2008, annual operating expenditures were reduced by $2.1 million
Capital Expenditures
Historically, additional revenue and onetime sources of funds have been used for debt reduction and capital improvements (road projects, building improvements and maintenance, major equipment purchases, etc.) Since the gap between revenue and the cost to provide services has narrowed, fewer dollars are available for debt reduction and capital improvements. As a result, capital expenditures budgeted in 2010 focused on infrastructure maintenance and replacing existing equipment that is too costly to maintain. In 2011, the largest project is the U.S. 42 Improvement Project. The $7.5 million cost of construction will be paid using $6.5 million in grants and $1 million to be financed and paid through city funds designated for state and federal highways.
Debt and Fund Balance
Debt supported by the General Fund declined $2.2 million in 2010 from $50.7 million to $48.5 million. 2011 continues the plan to reduce the outstanding debt supported by the General Fund to $46.2 million. The City of Mason maintains an operating reserve in the General Fund for emergencies and unexpected needs. It is a recommended practice to maintain a reserve of at least 25% of expenditures. At the end of 2010, the City of Mason’s General Fund had a balance equal to about 39% of the General Fund’s expenditures.
Outlook
The City of Mason has continued to maintain an Aaa credit rating from Moody’s
Investor Service for its general obligation debt. This is the highest credit rating available. The city continues to benefit from its location and economic role in the Cincinnati area, a diverse income tax base, and manageable debt burden. This exceptional credit rating reflects the city’s healthy financial operations characterized by strong reserves and prudent fiscal management. City of Mason General Fund (in millions)
$35.0 $30.0 $25.0 $20.0 $15.0 $10.0 $5.0 $0.0
2008 Actual
2009 Actual
2010 Actual
2011 Budget
$31.1
$27.1
$25.5
$24.5
$25.6
$23.7
$23.5
$24.2
Revenue
Expenditures
Soliciting In the City of Mason
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he arrival of spring brings about an increase in the number of calls the police department receives about solicitors, more commonly known as door-to-door sales people. The City of Mason regulates solicitors under city ordinance 707. Following are some of the more important parts of the ordinance that residents should be aware of when they are contacted by a solicitor. Who does the ordinance apply to? It applies, with some exceptions, to “…any person … who sells, offers for sale, or solicits orders for future delivery of goods … or attempts to arrange an appointment for a future estimate or sales call.”
Mason Matters
The General Fund is the city’s largest fund and the one that pays for most city services. (Some services have separate funds, such as fire, sewer, and stormwater.) Income taxes are the greatest source of revenue in the General Fund. Other sources include property taxes, intergovernmental revenue, and fees for services. Since 2008, annual General Fund revenue has declined $5.6 million (18%). This decline was a result of the national recession combined with the phase-in of the income tax full credit. About 75% of all revenue for the General Fund is from income taxes. Of that, 81% is from businesses and from employee withholding. The remainder is paid directly by residents. Despite recent declines, however, income tax revenue has stabilized. State-supported revenue for the General Fund (part of intergovernmental revenue) is not certain as Ohio addresses its own budget deficit. At risk could be as much as $2 million of the revenue collected in 2010, which represents 8% of General Fund Revenue. The good news is that even though the City of Mason has lost a substantial amount of revenue and expects to see some additional declines, these declines may be absorbed through sound financial management.
(8%). Major areas of reduction include keeping positions vacant as staffing declines, eliminating most overtime, eliminating or reducing services that are not widely used, coordinating services among departments and other governments, and finding the lowest cost between contracting out services versus using city personnel. This approach has reduced the General Fund budget and has allowed the city to balance the 2011 budget.
—see SOLICITING on pg. 2 www.imaginemason.org
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From the City Manager
Eric Hansen, City Manager We appreciate your calls, visits and e-mails to the Mason Municipal Center to discuss what is going on in the city. I encourage you to call 513.229.8500 or stop in any time during business hours if you need information or assistance.
Dear Mason Resident, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” These words of Helen Keller are forever inscribed on the floor of the Mason Municipal Center. During my time as City Manager, I’ve come to a greater appreciation and understanding of Miss Keller’s sentiment. In the current economic climate, it has never seemed as important, nor as rewarding, for the city to work together with others for the benefit of everyone. Our partnership with TriHealth, though young, is already showing significant benefits to the success of the Mason Community Center. TriHealth is helping us improve the financial outlook of the community center by leasing office space from us for Group Health Associates and Bethesda Physical Therapy. Equally important, their presence at the center has allowed us to jointly present new programming and benefits. A post-rehab program, medical screenings, and informative presentations are among the programs that together, we have been able to offer to members of the center and to the community. We have been glad to partner with Deerfield Township in past years and will do so again this year as we jointly seek bids on our street repair programs. Combining the two programs increases the scope of the projects, allowing both jurisdictions to realize quantity discounts. Last year, Mason and Deerfield Township formed a new partnership to distribute Mason Matters and Deerfield Digest along with CenterPoint, the program guide for the Community Center. While this saves money for both the city and the township, of equal importance is the sharing of information with and from our close neighbors. The city has also received great benefits by working with Warren County. We continue to work closely with the county engineer on plans for a full interchange at I-71 and Western Row Road. The county recently formed a Transportation Improvement District with the city and other jurisdictions to collaborate on area transportation improvements. Our Economic Development office works with the county on business outreach efforts such as Workforce One job training, incentives for business expansions and new development, and business recruitment. We also collaborate on traffic signal maintenance, roadway maintenance, and more. There are many more partnerships important to the city. Partnerships with the Northeast Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce, Festivals of Mason, Mason City Schools, Northeast Fire Collaborative, community organizations, youth sports organizations, Mason Parks Foundation, volunteers, businesses, and residents allow us to bring you more services and more opportunities while realizing a dollar savings to the city. Together, we can do so much more than we can do alone.
Soliciting from pg. 1 Who does the ordinance not apply to? It does not apply to any person who represents a tax-exempt entity, such as Girl Scouts selling cookies or someone who is only seeking donations and not selling or soliciting orders for goods. It also does not apply when someone has been invited by the owner or tenant to sell or solicit orders for goods, when a person is collecting money for goods or services previously ordered or sold, or to persons circulating petitions or campaigning for public office.
Mason Matters
Do solicitors need to register? Individuals, businesses, and employees of businesses wishing to solicit in the city are required to register with the police department. Further, all solicitors are required to carry identification that includes the registration number issued by the police department. Employees must also carry verification that they are employed by the business that registered.
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When and how can solicitors conduct business? Registered solicitors must conduct their solicitation in a manner that is not contrary to the public interest. They
April / May 2011
cannot be coercive, abusive, misleading or fraudulent. Hours of soliciting in the city are limited to 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from April through October and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from November through March. Can a solicitor’s license be taken away? The registration may be revoked for various reasons, including but not limited to fraud, misrepresentation, false statements, any violation of the soliciting ordinance, and conducting business in such a manner as to constitute a menace to the health, safety, or general welfare of the public. How should I deal with solicitors? If a solicitor comes to your door, you may ask to see identification showing their police department-issued registration number. You may wish to deal only with registered persons. If you would like to confirm whether a solicitor is registered or report someone who could not produce confirmation, please call the Mason Police Department administrative offices at 513.229.8560 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. After hours and on weekends, call the Warren County Communications Center’s nonemergency number at 513.925.2525. Can I keep solicitors from coming to my door? If you do not wish to be contacted by a
solicitor at your residence, post a sign stating “NO SOLICITORS” at the main entry point or points to your property. What should I do if a solicitor comes to my door anyway? If you have posted a “NO SOLICITORS” sign and a solicitor either has not seen the sign or disregards the warning, ask the solicitor to leave or the police will be called. Call the police if the solicitor refuses to leave or becomes abusive or coercive. Try to gather as much information as possible through observation only, such as a description of the person, license numbers, and if offered, information from the permit such as permit number, name, etc. What happens to violators? Persons found to be in violation of any part of this ordinance are guilty of a minor misdemeanor. If they have been convicted of or found guilty of violating the ordinance in the past year, they are guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. For a complete copy of the current soliciting ordinance, please visit www. imaginemason.org. If you have questions, or would like additional information on soliciting in the city, please contact the police department at 513.229.8560.
Early Results Show Promising Progress
Ready to File?
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ecause Friday, April 15, is a holiday in the District of Columbia, tax returns are due on the next business day after April 15. For those who wait till the last minute, that means you’ll have an extra weekend to get everything done. City of Mason tax returns are due on Monday, April 18, 2011. 2010 tax returns and extension requests must be postmarked or dropped off at Mason Municipal Center on or before that Monday. For most residents, electronic filing and payment is available using the online tax tool.
Mason Community Center Outlook
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Online Tax Tool with E-filing
The City of Mason continues to form valuable new partnerships that further the goals of the center and the partners. For example, the Mason High School gymnastics team held a meet at the center that brought in over 300 visitors. The school’s competitive cheer team is using the facility for practices, generating additional revenue. Other new partnerships will see the center hosting training sessions for fitness professionals from throughout the area, offering merchandise and services through the Symbiosis store by partnering with vendors such as Mojo Running, highlighting local merchants through events like Shop Local and Taste of Mason, hosting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Race to Anyplace,” and other events. Partnerships with St. Susanna Church, Main Street Sweets, Usborne Books, Cincinnati Ballet, the Golf Center at Kings Island, local youth sports organizations, and others will bring new benefits to members of the center and the community. “The results at year-end represented encouraging news, but there remains considerable work to be done,” said City Manager Eric Hansen. “There is a wealth of additional ideas, partnerships, and initiatives to draw upon that will continue to build value in membership and interest in the center’s operations as they are implemented,” he added. Watch for announcements of new programs, events, and activities yet to come at the Mason Community Center. If you haven’t visited, please stop in for a tour. Even if you decide not to join right away, you can still try some of the hundreds of programs offered at the center. See the latest edition of CenterPoint or Mason Matters for news, or visit www.imaginemason.org/ things-to-do.
For easier filing, calculate your taxes using the city’s online tax tool. You can enter all your income information and the tax tool will calculate the correct amount due. Most taxpayers will also be able to file their return online. Even if you don’t figure your taxes online, you can use the tool to see all the payments for 2010 that were applied to your account prior to February 1, 2011. Visit www.imaginemason. org/residents/tax-information to use this handy tool.
Credit for Taxes Paid to Other Cities
In 2007, Mason voters approved an amendment to the city’s charter that changed the city’s Tax Ordinance. The change gradually increased the credit for taxes paid to other cities. For tax year 2010, if you are a resident employed in another city that has an earnings tax, you can take a maximum credit of up to one hundred percent (100%) of the Mason tax due on the portion of your earnings taxed by the city where you are employed. Please note that you must still file a return, even if no taxes are due. More information is included in your 2010 City of Mason income tax packet, which was mailed to you in January 2011. Tax forms are also available on the city’s website, www. imaginemason.org/residents/tax-information/ tax-forms-individuals or by calling the Mason Tax Office at 513.229.8535.
Help from the Tax Office Regular business hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Tax season extended hours: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday, April 9 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday, April 15
www.imaginemason.org
Mason Matters
ast fall, the Mason Community Center celebrated its grand reopening after 16 months of construction. After a week of special events to introduce the community to the new spaces and activities, the center opened for normal business on November 1. Studies conducted several years ago showed that the expansion would help the city meet its goal of having the Community Center be self-supporting. The goal of having operating expenses paid by revenue from pass fees, rentals, program fees, and other revenue sources would reduce taxpayer dollars used from the General Fund to support the center. Though it is too early to draw long-term conclusions, the city is already seeing visible progress toward that goal. Here are some of the areas that have shown forward momentum at the center: • December’s total membership revenue was higher than any month in the past four years. • December membership numbers met the business plan projections. • Sales at the postal unit have increased dramatically since moving to the Community Center. Postal services were formerly available at Mason Municipal Center. Moving this service has increased the number of hours it is available to include evening and weekend hours, including Sundays. • Kids Korner has had record attendance. For a reasonable fee (free to Premier pass holders), members and visitors to the center can drop off children up to age 12 for up to two hours of childcare. (Parents or guardians must remain in the building.) With Group Health Associates and Bethesda Physical Therapy also in the building, Kids Korner has been made available to patients of the medical offices as well. • The rock climbing wall has been very popular for all ages. • The gymnastics program is growing. Three hundred students are enjoying the 46 classes that are offered each week. The Mason Twisters competitive team is placing well at meets and the roster is expanding. • The fitness center has seen very high levels of activity. More pieces of equipment and new types of equipment provide more exercise opportunities for members.
Tax Returns Due April 18
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Mason
Arts Alliance Announces Spring Events
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he Mason-Deerfield Arts Alliance invites you to an Open House at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5, 2011, at Snyder House at Cottell Park, 5847 Irwin-Simpson Road. Learn all about the MDAA and its volunteer opportunities. You will also be able to sign up for workshops and summer art camps. Artist Paul Loehle will share his paintings of the sometimes weird, fascinating, disturbing and wild Facebook profile pictures. He captures the characters who wish to be seen through the eyes and bytes of the internet world through the very popular Facebook connection. Opening night for his exhibition “The Face of Social Media” will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, in the lobby of the Mason Community Center. Refreshments will be served and the event is free. The exhibit will be shown from April 4 through April 22. It’s time to begin thinking about the annual Mason Arts Festival. Artist, food vendor, and performing artist applications are now available. For outside booth artists, application and jury materials are due on April 1. The artist acceptance notification will be April 8. Artists must commit by May 2. Applications and deadlines for the inside city gallery, food vendors, and performing artists can be found at www. masonarts.org.
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Water Quality Report
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he Mason Historical Society has been preserving Mason’s history for over 30 years. Its Alverta Green Museum is located at 207 West Church Street and is open form 1 to 4 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. It is also open by appointment for tours. Contact the society at 513.398.6750 or visit www. masonhistoricalsociety.org. Monthly meetings are on the third Tuesday of the month and are open to the public. The April meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 19, at the Gathering Place behind the museum on Church Street. The program “Quakers Migration in Ohio” will be given by John Fitzgerald, author of the book Peaceable Pilgrimage. With the passing of the Ordinance of 1787, the Northwest Territory was established and white settlers would stream into the area north of the Ohio River. This should be an interesting look into local history. The May meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, at the WLW property on Tylersville Road. WLW history speaker Ted Ryan will give the program. (Please note there are six steps into the building.) This will be a good opportunity to learn the history of a local landmark in Mason.
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Fire Auxiliary Fish Fries
he Mason Fire Auxiliary will hold its annual fish fry fundraisers on March 25, April 1, April 8, and April 15. Dinners will be served from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Mason Fire Station 52, 5500 Cedar Village Drive. Stop in for your choice of fish, shrimp, fish sandwiches, and corn dogs. Homemade macaroni and cheese, coleslaw, French fries, and applesauce are also on the menu. Desserts, soft drinks, and free coffee will be served, and children’s meals and carryout will be available. The Fire Auxiliary is a non-profit organization supporting local fire personnel by providing food and drinks during fires and other emergency situations. The organization serves both the City of Mason and the Deerfield Township Fire Departments. The group raises its funds solely through fundraisers held throughout the year.
Mason
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More Changes Coming to new City Website
ou may have noticed a change to the city’s website. In conjunction with the Community Center renovation, the City of Mason began strengthening services and communications offered through the website. The new site was launched late last year. The newly designed website showcases the beautiful community that both residents and businesses call home. Through stronger visual images, simpler navigation, and timely posting of community news, visitors to the website can easily find information that applies to them. As the City of Mason has maintained a focus on customer service, design of the new site was developed through the lens of a visitor and what he or she might want to see. Instead of organizing information by departments, information is organized by services. To make it easier to find programs at the community center, you can now look them up by age, program type, or specific program areas. In addition, you can sort the city calendar by type of event or April / May 2011
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n 2002, the City of Mason transferred its drinking water operations to Greater Cincinnati Water Works as part of its long-term planning to ensure a continuous water supply for the city. We continue to work with GCWW to maintain and improve water service for the City of Mason. GCWW will include its annual Safe Drinking Water Report (CCR) in April utility bills. As stated in the report, in 2010, GCWW water once again met or exceeded state and national health standards. Educators can obtain copies of the report and other materials for the classroom by visiting the teacher’s page on the website. Call 513.591.7700 to obtain copies or find it online at www. cincinnati-oh.gov/gcww.
Mason Historical Society
activity. A separate calendar is dedicated to the many drop-in group exercise classes at Mason Community Center. The initial launch of the site included updated information and program details for the Community Center. The city’s next focus is to enhance the Economic Development section to include the capability for developers, brokers, and potential new Mason business partners to search available sites and buildings. The Economic Development portion will also highlight many beneficial partnerships with organizations that assist existing businesses in the city. By the end of 2011, all updates regarding city services are expected to be complete and accompanied by additional resources and information for both residents and visitors to our community. Please visit the site at www.imaginemason.org. Send your feedback and recommendations to Administration by clicking on the “contact” button at the top or bottom of the page. We welcome your comments.