DON"T BLAME STAFF FOR THIS ONE.

The Article City looks inward to avoid major tax increase and the Editorial City setting right agenda from today's Morningstar suggests that the increase from 2.84% to 6.81% came from staff.
"the finance committee told staff that if they want extra items added to the budget, they will have to find the cash themselves."

Now lets get a few things straight. At my posting Last Budget Meeting Monday at 2.
"The finance committee will reconvene Monday to decide how they will pay for the $1,010,158 or 6.81% budget shortfall for 2007. The staff's adjusted budget was $293,300 or 1.98% but council voted (or deferred) net adjustments that totaled $716,858 or 4.83%. "

The COUNCIL decided to add $448,800 for additional road rehabilitation and another $100,400 for an overdue project along 29th st. Lake access was added back in for an additional $150,000 along with the recent decision to add residential snow clearing after 6 inch snowfall which will add $70,000 to the 2007 total. The decision to make the Lt. Industrial and Utility tax ratio decision of early fall into a revenue neutral decision (and indeed lower tax rates to the business class) at a cost of $96,500 was also a council decision. These decisions along with the decision to decrease the amount put into the affordable housing fund by $100,000 and accept the $67,000 in transit revenue windfall that staff found were the real reasons why the increase funding required now stands at $6.81%.

The COUNCIL also adjusted the fire taxes by $42,200 net by adding monies for a Fire Prevention Officer causing the anticipated fire taxes to increase from 3.7% to 5.5%.

I happen to agree with many of these decisions to add much needed brick and mortar infrastructure and most of the other decisions made by the COUNCIL ADDITIONS and I endorse the actual task that was handed back to staff. That task is to reexamine the departmental budgets to extract a percentage across the board cut that combined with other funding sources will bring the tax increase back to the original 2.84%. (I wish that this tax cut went further back to 0% and although it is easily attainable it will only happen when Pigs Fly).

Staff has also been instructed to have the Airport Committee (Corporation) bring back a full accounting of the Airport Capital Reserve which theoretically stands at $113,333.04 and the necessity of the additional $300,000 in this years budget for Capital improvements for off ramp Charley at an estimated cost of $360,000 to $440,000.

THE STAFF PROPOSED A BUDGET - THE COUNCIL TOOK CONTROL AND CHANGED THE BUDGET - THE COUNCIL INSTRUCTED STAFF TO COME BACK WITH ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENTAL CUTS AND WAYS TO FINANCE THE MONIES NEEDED TO REDUCE THE TAX INCREASE TO NO MORE THAN 2.84%.

YOU CAN BLAME STAFF IF THEY CAN'T FIND ANY DEPARTMENTAL SAVINGS OR FINANCING METHODS TO MEET THIS MODEST TARGET BUT UNTIL THEN READ THE ARTICLES IN THE MORINGSTAR WITH THE RESPECT THAT THEY DESERVE. (You get what you pay for.)