A Public Relations Specialist or 1313 New
Street Trees?
The Citizens' Streets Advisory Commission (CSAC) tells us that
the 2004 Street bond was just for rebuilding the streets from “curb to curb.”
However, seven new positions were added to the City Engineering department
with Street Bond money. One of those positions was a “public information coordinator.”
What is so controversial about engineering that it requires a PR person?
This position has an annual cost of $39,399 per year. Multiply that by the
ten year life of the 2004 Street Bond and we get close to $393,990. The city's
urban forester places a cost of $300 on planting a new street tree. Divide
the public relations salary by the cost of a tree and you get 1,313 new street
trees. As trees appreciate in value, what would the value of mature trees
be? The appraised value of the average "diseased and dying" street tree on
Bernard is $7609. Place that very conservative figure on the value of each
of 1313 new trees and you get almost ten million dollars.
Are our tax dollars allocated for street reconstruction better spent on
street trees that will be conservatively worth ten million dollars in 50
years or on a public relations specialist that may, at best, convince us
that we don't really need street trees?
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