An Open Letter to Lakewood Mayor Wendi Strom and the City Council on Taxes

Repost from Bob Adams on NextDoor.com

Dear Mayor Strom:

As Mayor, you and the City Council are asking us (in the November ballot measure) to allow you to permanently keep and spend all the extra tax dollars you over collected, not just this year, but next year and every year after that, as well as asking blanket permission to raise taxes anytime without a vote of the people. We know these extra tax dollars were not an accident, but deliberately over collected – in anticipation of your ballot measure. 

How are our tax dollars being spent? As a taxpayer, I was shocked to learn we pay Lakewood City Manager, Kathy Hodgson, $368,137 in base salary per year – nearly as much as the President of the United States at $400,000 and much more than the vice president and governor. This seems really high for a town the size of Lakewood. The city Manager in Ft. Collins (slightly larger) is paid $97,232 and Colorado Springs (much larger), $104,517. Please advise and explain the total compensation package currently being paid to the city manager. Please include additional fringe benefits, any bonus amounts paid, deferred compensation, expense accounts, retirement benefits and any other benefits. As you know, all of this is public information. 

Thank you in advance. This information will help us evaluate your Ballot Measure. 

Sincerely, 

Bob Adams 

Lakewood. 

Further information: As an addendum, I’ve just learned that our Lakewood city manager also has a deputy city manager who is paid $207,000. 

This letter was sent to the Mayor by email. If I receive a response from her or the Council, I’ll share it here.