Not staying for any New business, as I was certain all of it would pass, the City Commission adopted the Budget for 2013 on first reading as well as the millage rate, keeping it the same as last year. Raising taxes even when you have a budget shortfall, is not popular with the voters and our elected officials know how to play the game.
Vice Mayor Maxwell who has never approved any budget since he has been in office, made the motion to approve City Manager Bornstein's budget with Commissioner Amoroso, Mr. Second, seconding the motion. The budget passed on a 3/2 with McVoy and Mulvehill dissenting.
I was really surprised at Maxwell, the one who has always maintained that he is the fiscal conservative. Not last night. No one operates his finances by spending more than he is taking in--unless, of course, you are the government.
Our general fund was down again this year by 2.6% but the Mayor cheered on saying that we were heading in the right direction. I felt as if I were at a pep rally. "Lead by hope, not fear," she said. We know where she got that "hope" thing from.
The "visionaries" thought it perfectly fine to take $424,000 from reserves (savings) and also rob the Simpkin Trust of $100,000 for library operations, a Trust that was NOT set up for operations. The plan is to deplete this entire trust over the next five years and to balance the budget if needed by robbing reserves, the main reasons why McVoy and Mulvehill voted the budget down.
They reduced our cost of electricity by 5% which will be $2.4 million less in revenue to the Utility and ultimately the city. I question the timing of this reduction. The 1.4% conservation fee elimination will be paid from the reserves but off everyone's electric bill. They also suggested that they might have to special assess us in the future for whatever. Not once was the idea of management reducing their salaries by 10% and making up the shortfall by further cuts were suggested. In fact, no ideas were brought forward for any other eliminations in the budget. Amoroso also threw the blame back on the public saying that not one person contacted him with any ideas.
We all learned that only 30% of the revenues we receive goes towards actually operating the City. 70% are fixed costs representing employee salaries, benefits and retirement packages. The Finance Director, Steve Carr, did say that these need to be negotiated. The commission trio did not respond to that at all and neither did the city manager, ALL politicians.
Even though the budgets that were formulated for 2007/2008 and 2008/2009 under city managers Paul Boyer and Bob Baldwin raided our Reserves big time, we hired a city manager in April 2009 who stopped the bleed and ended the nonsense, Susan Stanton. She was condemned for making the difficult managerial decisions that got us on course and was eventually fired by this trio of "visionaries," Maxwell, Triolo and Amoroso. Now it seems we are right back to where we started with a commission and city manager avoiding the tough but necessary decisions. Although there are not millions being robbed from Reserves, it is still kicking the can down the road--the easy way out from making difficult decisions to maintain the health of our city.
The City manager did not update his department in the Budget but managed to get $15,000 for his monthly propaganda newsletter instead of doing a weekly city manager report on-line that is free where we actually got some information. The city commission had agreed to reduce its travel and education account from $30,000 to $15,000--so that is a wash. Also in the plan going forward is to close the pool. They will be spending over $100,000 for pool expenses every year but refuse to open the pool to make revenues even after stating in the budget that the pool is the number one summer activity.
This is no way to run our city.
19 comments:
Now we know why Maxwell refused to hire an internal auditor. He,Triolo and Amaroso don't want their hands in the cookie jar exposed.
How much money does the city have in these reserves? $424,000. is a substantial sum...how long can we keep this up?
I appreciate our City Leaders effort to offer those homeowners who are still struggling ,some financial relief. Millions of Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. Our bills keep going up, ins, gas,food. Thank You Mayor Triolo, Commissioner Amoroso, and Vice Mayor Maxwell.
The "financial relief" as you put it was in the millage. All 5 commissioners kept the tax the same. Thank them all.
Sylvia needs to borrow the mayor's cheerleader outfit or become a politician.
I will thank McVoy when he stops the BS about bike lanes that very few people in this City use
I don't recall him mentioning bike lanes. Talk to the CRA regarding the 8 mile Bike Network.
I have been reading your blog for a couple of years, and it still amazes me how you twist the truth, and are always afraid to post blogs about McVoy, and Mulvehil. I was telling the truth about the bike lanes, and you dismissed it after you posted you did not recall him saying anything about the bike lanes. Go back, and listen to the audio. He is very upset that ONLY $50,000.00 is being allocated for bike lanes. I said nothing about the CRA.
First of all, if you have been reading this blog for 2 years, then you should be familiar with the policy.
Next, this blog was about the budget and this trio's actions--not freakin bike lanes of $50,000 a year that had been budgeted.
Next, this blog is not about your personal dislike of McVoy and constant nit-picking. This blog will NOT be used to attack McVoy. If you want to do that, go to Blackman's blog. He encourages all sorts of stuff like that.
Also, and to say it one last time, do not come over here and personally attack me. I disagree with you. So be it. To call me a liar just doesn't cut it.
And lastly, have the courage to stand up to your convictions and post under your real name. Otherwise, anything you say has zero credibility.
So, I hope that explains why your comment was not posted.
It's an election year and Mcvoy is sweating. Glad to see you back him Lynn. But things do not look good for him these day's Mulvehil is out, and Cara is no where to be seen. Have only seen 2 of his signs, and I have been all over the city.
AGAIN, your opinions on Commissioner McVoy have no business here. This blog is about the BUDGET and a reminder to everyone that this trio has made some crappy mistakes since they were elected--21 to be exact. Get it?
I don't second guess campaigns--when they get out signs or anything else that they do. I back the most ethical, most pleasant, honest and most intelligent person in the mix.
So, once again, take your harassment to that other blog. As McVoy's opponent is being backed by friends of this Trio commission, nuff said.
Ms Anderson, when this commission takes $400,000 plus dollars to balance this budget, I would be looking at ANYTHING to cut out so that much does not have to come out of the RESERVES. I agree that bike lanes costing $50,000.00 should have been one of the first things to go. I Feel that it was a joke to hire four new employee's that are not needed at this time. This city is in dire straights and every employee needs to buckle down, and get the job done. Or Maybe this time in the next few years there will be no Lake Worth Left.
Thank you, anonymous above. I 100% agree with you. The City should have come up with $424 more in cuts, not take from our savings to keep the city afloat.
The library will be gone in less than 3 years as soon as they have spent the trust fund on operations.
The museum is gone now operated 8 hours a week by volunteers.How long will that last?We are celebrating our
100 birthday next year and we are still are still complaint about the same old things.
What can we do about union costs? Do you think that any commission will do anything about this problem that is bankrupting our city or will they leave it to the next guy to solve? This trio commission had a chance to do something and they opted out.
I really do not care about the Library, I care about the condition of this City as a whole. I still say We NEED assessments to get the ball rolling, and see what follows.
As far as assessments are concerned, the reason the fire assessment was in such disfavor with the residents was because it was for fire PENSIONS, not services. When you have the average resident struggling here to support obscene retirement benefits, then it will be a very unpopular tax.
If assessments were charged according to the value of your property, then I could go along with the idea of assessments on some things. However, to charge everyone the same amount of money which is disproportionate to their income and/or to their property value, is an unfair tax, IMO.
And I DO CARE ABOUT THE LIBRARY. It is a part of our history. For someone on the centennial committee???, I am surprised you feel this way.
When I said I do not care about the Library it was a fiqure of speech, And I had to break this to you, but I am Noy on the Centennial Committee.
Does that mean, therefore, that you DO care about the library. I know--the library is not a priority in the scheme of things with city government. The problem is, when cities are hurting for income, one of the first things to go is the public library. I still say they had better talk to the Unions. It is they taking all of our cash.
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