"No government can exist without taxation. This money must necessarily be levied on the people; and the grand art consists of levying so as not to oppress.''
Frederick the Great
The Finance Committee is starting to tred through the City Manager's budget, and the BOE gave their presentation last week. Over the next several weeks, other large departments (e.g., police/fire, public works and parks&rec) will also undergo the Committee's scrutiny.
I read the letters to the editor of the RJ, and hear from people on the street that we need to cut spending. I'd like to hear the ideas of where the City could cut. What services, what positions can be eliminated without affecting the City's quality of life. For the time being, let's leave the BOE's budget as a separate discussion. I know it's a big target, but for discussion's purposes, let's focus on the City's expensed for now. Try to be as specific and constructive as possible. Broadbrushed statements like "Cut everything by 10%" isn't realistic. I really would like to read proposals I can bring before the Committee for serious review and consideration. Suggest away...
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Very specific items, huh? Well by excluding the Board of Education budget, that really limits cuts to other city services. Maybe rather than thinking what to cut, how about thinking what not to add; ie. all-day kindergarten, Falcon Field. A few suggestions that have been discussed by other contributors to this blog include: charge admission to Hubbard Park Lights at Xmas time to pay for set up, maintenence, and utilities. strict limits on use of city vehicles (including gas and maintenence), tone down city bicentenial celebration - really, when it's over you have nothing to show for it. I believe I recall reading somewhere that the city is picking up utility bills for Curtis Memorial, if this is still true, I'd like to get an accounting of how much that is costing. That could be another posssible place for cuts. All the above mentioned thoughts are probably just a drop in the bucket in the entire budget. The nature of a municipal budget requires that each department really scrutinize every program, personnel, and resources. I don't believe department heads can do that in a fair, unbiased manner. Their alligance is to their departments and their personnel, and justifibly so. That's why rather than asking departments heads to propose and justify a budget, give them a figure and let them figure out how to make it work. Given all that, there may be very little wiggle room in the municipal city budget, however, where is most of the city dollars spent? - education. That's where real savings can be realized, but that's for another time. Mark
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