Should Prairie Home Cemetery Sell Headstones, Vaults?
Waukesha Mayor Jeff Scrima wants city-run cemetery to begin selling headstones and vaults to help city’s budget.
With a tough city budget for 2012 being under the scrutiny of Waukesha aldermen, Mayor Jeff Scrima brought forward a solution that he says will save the city tens of thousands of dollars.
Scrima would like to have the Common Council come up with a recommendation in the 2012 budget that would allow Prairie Home Cemetery to sell headstones and vaults.
“Note that the council currently allows the cemetery to compete with private sector businesses by selling flowers, wreaths, planter and benches,” Scrima said in his referral that he gave the Waukesha Common Council Tuesday night. “In addition, other examples can be found where the city and other non-profit organizations compete with private sector businesses in selling the same products or services.”
The budget that is being presented is balanced with a tax freeze, but in order to have a balanced budget, most homeowners could see a $136 fee for garbage collection on their tax bill. Without the garbage fee, the city would be facing a $2.7 million budget shortfall.
“Long-term issues will need to be discussed,” Scrima said at an Oct. 11 Finance Committee meeting.
Other long-term options that were mentioned on Oct. 11 as future considerations for the Common Council were:
- Consolidating with Waukesha County dispatch
- Selling city services to surrounding communities
- Centralizing city services
- Hiring a budget analyst and a grant writer
In This article
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Mayor Jeff Scrima, City of Waukesha
201 Delafield St, Waukesha, WI -
Prairie Home Cemetery
605 S Prairie Ave, Waukesha, WI
St. Swithin
12:05 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
I know headstones are provided by private companies, but vaults? I thought those were offered by the cemetery. Why would it be bad for the cemetery to sell headstones?
Sarah Millard
12:09 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
I believe one of the arguments presented is should the cemetery – a non-profit – be competing against for-profit businesses in the community?
Sarah Millard
12:06 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
So far our poll is showing that only 40% of those taking the poll think the city should sell headstones and vaults in the city-run cemetery. Why do you think they should be allowed to sell these items and why do you think they shouldn't be allowed to sell them?
Christine
12:16 pm on Wednesday, October 19, 2011
The reason Prairie Home should be allowed to offer these products and services are many:
1) Make this process easy for the consumer and allow them to have more choices. Customers, especially during these difficult arrangements, should not have to run around to several different places to coordinate the products they need to memorialize a life.
2) Just as the mayor states, this is revenue for the cemetery and will alleviate the burden on the tax payers.
3) Competition is good!
the 'sha guy
8:11 am on Thursday, October 20, 2011
While this may be revenue for the city, government is not for the purpose of making a profit. If the city can not run the cemetery efficiently, perhaps it should look at selling the property to a private business who could make it profitable and get out of the cemetery market all together.
Competition is good, but when the competitor is government it is unfair as they are subsidized by the entire tax base.
Government's purpose is not to drive competition or become a profitable business. Under your ideals it would open a can of worms to allow the city to sell almost anything under the guise of "competition." Would it be okay for the City of Waukesha to also open sporting goods stores at their athletic fields to sell sports equipment? After all, why should people have to drive to a separate sporting goods store to buy bats, balls or other equipment? </End Sarcasm>
St. Swithin
9:50 am on Thursday, October 20, 2011
Sha Guy, I see your point and mostly agree with it. However, most people agree that government services and products are best in some situations. In this case we have to consider the relatives of the deceased. In a time of mourning a person cannot be expected to be thinking clearly. Do we want a number of companies to come clamoring for business? Buy my tombstone! I'll give you 15% off! No, mine's the best - only the finest quality marble! At the moment the funeral and grave business is not very competitive. Often the funeral home director is given carte blanche to make decisions about the burial. Attempts to offer cut-rate caskets and other products are often shut down by anti-competitive regulations. I don't confess to know the answer to this issue. I am just trying to gather information.