Wednesday night (November 2, 2011) the City held its second budget workshop on the Mayor's tentative budget. Department Heads did a phenomenal job with their presentation and received applause from those who attended for keeping within their budget, and looking for ways to increase revenue and save taxpayers' dollars and to enable a second consecutive budget with a 0% increase in taxes.
After the meeting, my husband came to pick me up at City Hall and was visibly upset. Chuck told me that we had received a political flyer from Mr. Tobin that claimed he had voted against the 2011 City budget because it was "dishonest". I immediately went back into Council Chambers and asked Mr. Tobin what he meant by that comment. Mr. Tobin floundered and then said that he thought the anticipated sales tax revenue was too low. This was in reference to last year’s budget that Mr. Tobin voted against which was a zero percent tax increase. During the middle of a recession with unemployment at an all time high and people out of work, I considered that a prudent move. Not dishonest.
Obviously the majority of the Council agreed, as the budget was approved 6-2 ( I believe that Ms. Hayes voted along with Mr. Tobin) and has proven to be solid and well thought out. We will finish this year in the black without the need to use reserve funds.
I would like to make note that the only resident who spoke out against my budget during public comment was former Chairman of the Democratic Committee, Mr. Bill Wood.
If there is any dishonesty taking place, it is in Mr. Tobin's claim. As your Mayor, I only proposed a tentative budget. Per our Charter, it is the main responsibility of Council to modify or amend as they see fit prior to the budget being brought to the public for comment and final adoption. If Mr. Tobin felt that strongly and calls himself a leader of the council, he should have been able to convey and convince the majority of Council to go along.
What Mr. Tobin’s campaign literature displays are feelings and opinions with no basis in fact. If the budget was "dishonest" then I am assuming the remainder of Council must be "dishonest" - as they decided to adopt it as basically proposed.
The only item the Council changed was to eliminate the entire contractual line from the law department to the Contingency line due to previous Corporation Council overspending
It should be noted that this was the first time in 20 years that budget amendments did not exceed the overall appropriations brought before Council for approval.
For the past twenty years, our former Director of Administration and Finance controlled the appropriations and brought a single budget amended proposal to the Council at the end of the year. It was always passed without comment.
In closing, was it Mr. Wood and Mr. Tobin who felt that taxes should be raised and that the Mayor and rest of Council were “dishonest”?
Mayor Susan Feiszli
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