The cost estimate for renovation and re-purposing of existing city owned buildings that will move the City Hall and Municipal Court has more than doubled from $6.5M to $13.7M and no physical work has started. City staff presented 4 options for reducing the cost down to $7.9M with drastic cuts that the City Council would not accept. The staff wants the council to establish a new higher baseline cost, not currently defined, but, retains the basic design that has been presented.
The staff presentation with options can be viewed here: Downtown West
It seems that the council should send the staff back to the drawing board to come up with a new design and realistic plan that fits within the available budget of $6.5M which is the approximate amount expected from the sale of the existing city hall building.
Surely an advisory board of knowledgeable Georgetown citizens could be established that could vet any design that would meet the functional requirements of the city. Such a board would concentrate on providing guidance to ensure the resulting design would meet commercial building standards without adding non-functional elements that invariably creep into public buildings.
Let your council person know that excessive spending on public buildings is not in the best interests of Georgetown's taxpayers.
The city counsel anticipates increased revenue from R.E. taxes ("We won't raise your rate, just your assessment") and demonstrates their eagerness to spend like a drunken sailor just to prove that they can.
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