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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 09:57:17 AM
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| Citizen, do you know if the city council had voted not to accept the mayors budget if they would have been able to continue with the 1/12th budget for two more months? |
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Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 10:27:22 AM
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I'm not really sure, massdee, but I'll look into it. It would seem that if the DOR allows for a three month period, that would buy them more time.
I'll check it out and let you know. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 10:30:24 AM
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| Thanks, Citizen. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 10:34:39 AM
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| Would the CC have enough time to come back in before time runs out? How much notice has to be given before they can meet? I believe this has to be in to the state by Friday, in order for the mayors original budget not to be put in place. |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 10:51:00 AM
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| I feel it would be prudent for them to have the department heads there and go line by line once again without being under the gun. Mistakes are made when you try to rush things. Maybe, there are more places to cut, I don't know. |
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Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 12:55:38 PM
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Okay . . . I've spoken to a couple of people, and there wasn't a lot of clarity around the 3 month temporary budget issue. It seems that the determination would have to be made by the state. I'm going to try to research it a little further.
Anyone else have any insight? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 6:23:59 PM
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| Well, the budget is a done deal. I think Joe's final words sum it up, "it's a sad day for the taxpayer." |
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Citizen Kane
Advanced Member
1082 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 6:27:14 PM
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| Well, then, perhaps Joe should've spoken up more during the process instead of sitting there as though he had been struck mute. I'm sorry, massdee, but I expected much more from him throughout this debacle |
Edited by - Citizen Kane on 07/11/2007 6:28:41 PM |
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turk182
Member
88 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 6:32:32 PM
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You are right Massdee "it's a sad day for the Taxpayers," But the Taxpayers have spoken, cut that budget. Stat said it best Why did the budget go up 23 Million ove 24 months? Where did the money go? Where is the money going? Follow the money.
The Mayor should have been a better manager.
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Money Flew, Taxes Grew, Sludge Too, Hired a Few, Hanlon Knew, We got screwed,
Hired a few more now there is 104, What do we do?
Turk 182 |
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tetris
Moderator
2040 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 7:16:25 PM
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Why did the mayor ask to speak tonight? Some of the things that he mentioned tonight might actually be things that should not have been cut from the budget. Why didn't he ask to speak last night when it could have made a difference? Van Campen wants the finger pointing to stop? I think that the city is just in for a whole new round of the blame game.
Hanlon appeared to have a prepared speech ready for tonight. He bailed on it after a couple of lines as he didn't appear comfortable reading from it. I wonder who wrote it and what it contained? |
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massdee
Moderator
5299 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 8:17:36 PM
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| Citizen, don't be sorry, I agree. I haven't had a chance to speak to him and probably won't for a while since I am leaving on Saturday for two weeks. I want to know what his thinking was. I really can't figure it out. This has been so unlike him. Joe is never at a loss for words. I have known him since he was 14 years old. He is a good guy, kind and he really does care about the city. I hope he can turn things around and gain back the ground that he has lost. |
Edited by - massdee on 07/11/2007 9:03:04 PM |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
 Posted - 07/11/2007 : 9:48:30 PM
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hanlon asked to speak tonight so he could stand up there and tell all of us what the CC & BOA did wrong. He chose not to do the right thing and then let the CC & BOA make fools of themselves cutting where they shouldn't because they don't know what the needs truly are in the individual departments. I understand they cut an insurance line item from the Treasurers office that was intended to pay for bonding those employees that handle cash. Previously it was paid by the individual departments, but it was determined the city was better off covering them with one policy. Rosa saw it as a new line item and decided it wasn't needed.
The mirror had an article not too long ago referring to the budget as a runaway train. Rosa used that phrase at one of the meetings. Now she is the runaway train. She took over last night's meeting and cut indiscriminately. I'm sure she had good intentions, but she isn't qualified to make those decisions and since she barely let anyone else get a word in, I imagine the other council members just gave up. Which doesn't say much for her, or them!
It will be interesting to see just how long it takes before the departments start asking for transfers. It would be nice if some of them came forward and said they wanted to transfer from another line item (that they don't need) instead of from free cash. |
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Court4Fred
Advanced Member
1201 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2007 : 11:16:50 PM
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| Justme, et al: there is nothing in that budget that can't be undone. Transfers between line items can and will occur...and I think you have to look at it from the council perspective. I do know that they requested that department heads be available and the administration wouldn't allow it beyond the initial budget hearing. Let's put blame where blame is due. |
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justme
Advanced Member
1428 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2007 : 05:52:08 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Court4Fred
Justme, et al: there is nothing in that budget that can't be undone. Transfers between line items can and will occur...and I think you have to look at it from the council perspective. I do know that they requested that department heads be available and the administration wouldn't allow it beyond the initial budget hearing. Let's put blame where blame is due.
How does that help us Court? We shouldn't be looking at taking from free cash before the budget is even put in place. That makes the budget worthless!
There were a few department heads contacted, why not all of them? Why not call or stop and request that a department head be at the meeting? The mayor may have told some department heads (budget, treasurer, etc.) not to attend the meetings, but he didn't tell most of them not to attend. In fact, there was no communication regarding the meetings. When they did attend, they were left sitting in the audience while the group continued in the order the budget book was written. Why not use their heads and skip around so they could take advantage of those that were there instead of ignoring them and then becoming upset when they gave up and went home?
Bottom line, there were many things handled incorrectly by everyone involved and we, the taxpayers, are going to pay dearly for the ineptitude. |
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Joey
Member
39 Posts |
Posted - 07/12/2007 : 07:47:22 AM
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| Court, once the budget is set for the year does the c.c or b.o.a. still have the right to ask to see where the money was spent on the last budget for each dept. or is all done? Because I would still like to know what they spent all last year's money on item by item! And by doing this it will prepare them for the next budget!Plus it will give them someting usefull to do during there regular meeting's. |
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Budget
