To the editor:

It appears that both Crestwood residents and its city leaders are reluctant to accept the fact that losing big chunks of retail, along with the sales taxes they generated, means the city will now need to work harder to live within its available revenues.

The city predicts revenues increasing by just 0.5 percent annually, while personnel expenses are projected to increase twice that, by 1 percent annually, so now the city is requesting a nearly 200-percent property-tax increase.

The city could have saved $1 million annually by contracting with the county for police services, but chose the status quo.

At some point, efficiency will have to replace small and quaint. Benefits will have to be questioned, not just the number of positions.

Raising taxes is not — or should not be — the only “answer” presented to the voters. And, no, I don’t believe that a property-tax increase will ever be rolled back, even if/when sales-tax revenues rebound.

Jim Zavist

Crestwood