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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 7:51:09 PM
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Did anyone else see the special joint convention tonight?
Why is nothing ever easy in this city?
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 8:14:27 PM
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| I was only able to see a few minutes of it. I saw when the mayor and Carlo got heated over the full funding of the pension fund. I had to leave in the middle of it, we had dinner plans. What ended up happening. |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
 Posted - 07/06/2007 : 9:48:13 PM
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It was a lot like pulling teeth...........
There was a lot of questions, most of which were met with mumbo jumbo and half a$$ed answers by hanlon. He's obviously doing everything he can to make this more difficult than it needs to be and if he can keep the confusion going until the 15th, he gets his budget in by default.
The CC met and voted to approve the one month budget. The BOA meets Monday at which time they will also approve it.
I'm not sure when the CC meets to go over the changes to the original budget that the BOA made. I think it's Tuesday & then on Wednesday the BOA will meet again to vote on what the CC does on Tuesday. DiPerri says we'll have a budget Wednesday. I hope so, but I'm not holding my breath.
Rosa had a hissy fit. She got mouthy about not having all the financial people at the meeting tonight, and she's busy too with her son getting married tomorrow and she has things to do, and she wants all the financial people and department heads and everybody else there Monday. She was quite loud and, as is becoming her habit, rude about it. She asked for the job and could have bowed out tonight as others did. (5 members of the council weren't present tonight) This was her choice, I don't have any sympathy. (I'm sure most of you already know I'm not a sympathetic kind of person)
There's just too much fighting going on amongst our elected officials right now. No one seems to know what's going on or what they're supposed to do. I'm beginning to wish the state would just step in and make some sense out of the whole thing for all of us! |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 9:51:48 PM
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Most of the hour that they spend on the monthly budget revolved around the pension fund issue. What I got out of it (and please remember, this is only my interpretation of the issue) was that there may have actually be a larger cut possible in the budget line for the pension fund line item than was recommended by the mayor during the budget hearings. How is possible? It is hard to explain if you didn't see the meeting but I'll try to do a Readers Digest version of the issue.
The city received a notice that they had to pay the entire pension amount for the year on the first business of July by 1 PM or the money that they paid would not be fully invested for 30 days. The amount that they paid was about $16,000 more than the pension fund line item in the original 2008 budget submitted by the mayor. The mayor received a beating for this since it seemed to ignore his recommendation for a $417,0000 cut to this line item. This went on for a while. Somewhere along the line, the mayor mentioned that the amount paid also included the contribution for Everett Housing Authotity. When asked where this amount was in the budget, he stated that it wasn't. Later on in the discussion, it was finally made clear that the city pays the entire pension amount but it would be reimbursed by the EHA for its share at some point (but know one knew when). It was stated that the amount the EHA owes the city is $471,000. Therefore, if all of this is true, the cut to the pension line item in the budget to be approved can actually be more than mayor recommended. The budget director will verify all of this Monday morning.
It seemed that a lot of the members of the BOA & the CC were keyed in on this issue. One would think that the adminstration would have some idea of this and would come prepared to discuss it in a clear fashion. If all of this is true, it would actually be good news that additional money could be cut from the budget. It shows, once again, that the administration just doesn't get it.
The other major issue in the meeting was over the total amount of the monthly budget. It wasn't a 1/12 budget because of items like the pension payment which is due in full this month and won't be due in other months. It is also not based on the budget for last July since items like the pension payment and salaries have gone up since last year. According to the mayor and the solictor, it is based on the money needed to run the city for the month of July and this was the direction they received from the DOR. It will be a moot point if the actual annual budget is put into place quickly. |
Edited by - tetris on 07/06/2007 9:54:51 PM |
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Fedup
Member
86 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 10:23:51 PM
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Good Grief! Where does it end? I agree with Justme. It would be a relief to all of us if the State stepped in. I find it hard to believe that the administration knew nothing about the retirement issue. Donald Andrew is a member of the retirement board and he had a lot to do with putting the FY08 budget together (keep in mind that our budget director is mathematically challenged). I get very tired of hearing "I don't know" and "I'll have to look into it and get back to you". Tetris is correct when he says - "that the administration just doesn't get it".
In defense of Rosa, she works very hard for the taxpayer. She may, at times, come across a bit rough around the edge, but she is a dedicated Councilwoman and I personally am glad that she fights for all of us. Even though this is a very busy time for her, she hasn't missed any of the meetings and she comes prepared. She does her homework. This is more than I can say for a lot of those who supposedly represent us. In my mind, if you don't show up and come prepared for ALL the budget meetings, you shouldn't be allowed to vote. As much as I love the warm summer months, I can't wait for September and the Primary election so we can vote this dope and his cronies out of office. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/06/2007 : 10:28:16 PM
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| So, did anyone know what they were talking about tonight? What a surprise, the mayor came unprepared, again. |
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 08:11:12 AM
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Justme - I have to defend Rosa, as well. This woman works full-time, and then pulls her second job at city hall...and has a family, as well. It must be incredibly frustrating to attend a meeting in the middle of a wedding weekend, and not have the necessary people there, the department heads and finance people, to help the city council make an informed vote. It truly reveals just how unprofessional this mayor is.
A mathematically-challenged budget director. Mayor Walking Eagle, who had made photo ops a career. A city solicitor that hasn't provided an actual legal opinion in years. A former city auditor/consultant doing Fred's bidding for years. An assistant, part-time budget director who "winters" in Florida. All these people and not a working calculator between them?
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 08:40:11 AM
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Actually massdee, everyone seemed to know what they were talking about. hanlon, as usual, couldn't answer certain questions because he didn't have that information with him. However, there's no doubt in my mind, that his lack of preparation is intentional. It's just one of many stalling tactics.
They did go around and around over the pension payment and the (new) information that the city had to pay for the housing authority as well, which was why the amount increased. When he was asked why that amount wasn't included in the budget, he finally got around to telling them that housing would reimburse the city. When asked why he didn't mention it before, he said he didn't know.
I'd like to know what he thinks he's gaining by intentionally withholding information? If they don't ask the "right" question, they won't get the right answer. It just makes everything harder than it needs to be and hanlon comes off as less trustworthy every time he doesn't give them a straight answer. How can he possibly expect people to believe him when he knowingly avoids and evades questions we all have?
I agree with Fedup. September can't come soon enough! |
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Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:04:34 AM
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Rosa is a little rough around the edges, but I have to join in her defense as well. She's one of the hardest working members of the city government. She can be a bit gruff, but she's not afraid to ask the questions, even though Hanlon goes into a tirade against her practically any time she asks a question. Remember . . . . she's the one who asked the auditor straight out whether the budget as submitted exceeded the tax levy limit.
And I believe Rosa was correct when she said that the temporary budget passed for fiscal '08 could not exceed the operating budget for fiscal '07. But no one seemed to want to address that subject.
And one more thing . . . Carlo confronted the mayor once again regarding the fact that the budget as submitted exceeded the tax levy limit. The mayor blew yet another gasket and even went so far as to claim that this isn't the first time when the budget as submitted exceeded the tax levy limit. Really? I'd like to know when that happened. This is another example of the mayor being boxed into a corner, making outrageous, dramatc statements to get himself out, and no one calling him on it.
Can September 19th get here fast enough????? |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:09:46 AM
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Sorry guys, I can't agree with you about Rosa. She asked for that second job, no one forced it on her. When it interferes with her personal life, she needs to deal with it, not have a temper tantrum.
Which department heads were needed last night? Certainly not all of them. Yet, because of her outburst, all of them will be forced to attend next weeks meeting? That's a lot like shooting the messenger! The department heads shouldn't be punished because we have an idiot in the mayor's office. Some of them may have their jobs because of him, but, like many in this city, they may be regretting the fact that he won the election! Rosa needs to learn restraint and control!
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Edited by - justme on 07/07/2007 09:21:38 AM |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:19:38 AM
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| The only part of the meeting I was able to see was when Carlo said something about the funding on the pension appearing to be "underhanded," and the mayor blew a gasket on that one, too. I can't comment on Rosa last night, didn't see her, but I agree she is hard working and most of the time asks the right questions. She does not back down when the mayor starts his rants at her. justme, have you ever had a child getting married? It is a stressful time. I will have to give her credit for showing up the night before the wedding. She is an elected official, but in my book, family comes first. I think she has done a decent job throughout this fiasco of a budget process. |
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Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:30:51 AM
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| I have to say -- and no one is more surprised than I am that I keep having this thought -- but Carlo has actually been making sense to me through this whole budget process. Massdee, I know McGonagle is a friend of yours, so I apologize in advance if I offend you, but I felt his performance was very unimpressive during this important time -- certainly less impressive than it needed to be from someone looking to be our next mayor |
Edited by - Citizen Kane on 07/07/2007 09:32:39 AM |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:31:43 AM
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Yes, I've dealt with the stress of my children getting married and I agree that Rosa works hard, but her personal issues are hers to deal with and don't belong on the council floor.
Yes, she comes prepared. Yes, she asks the hard questions. Yes, she doesn't back down.
It was her choice to attend that meeting. If it was too much for her, should I be punished? Sorry, I don't think so. (Before anyone asks. No, I am not a department head. I do not work for the city.) |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:37:03 AM
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I thought the same thing CK. Carlo is actually beginning to seem like a viable choice and Joe isn't doing much of anything.
Are the tables turning? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/07/2007 : 09:39:54 AM
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| Citizen, that's funny, I was saying the same thing last night to my better half, no offense taken. When I speak to him, I have all intentions of mentioning that very thing to him. We are friends, but I can also see when he is messing up. I haven't a clue what he was thinking. I know how he feels about this budget, but it certainly didn't come through at these meetings. |
Edited by - massdee on 07/07/2007 09:42:55 AM |
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Budget
