I will not be able to attend the city council meeting Thursday 11/20 but I did speak out in support of the budget cuts for the police, fire and board of works departments at the last meeting. Everyone listened attentively and there were no negative comments. For that I was thankful.
I have reprinted my notes below. Will these cuts be enough? Are we asking too much of a sacrifice? Please add your opinion.
thanks,
Shirley
"I am here to speak about the ordinance which involves asking the police, fire department and board of works to cut expenses by $70,000 per year.
The police and fire departments budgets take up 84% of the general fund. While the other departments are asked to tighten their belts these two departments are given raises. Every department needs to trim expenses.
I know CM Price has advocated restrictions on the take home police cars and I agree with him on this issue. Fortunately gas prices have dropped by $2.00 a gallon, so the amount the police need to pay for the use of the cars after hours has been cut nearly in half.
Additionally overtime is another problem. We need to hire more police officers and fire fighters so the current employees can work their normal shifts. Maybe if these ideas are implemented we can come closer to meeting our budget for this year."
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16 comments:
CUT BABY CUT! I say lay off workers ot start running this city the way it should be ran.
Cut needs to be made at the top of the ladder 2. Raises illegal for top administration positions; hell, the positions are illegal.
Good timing for our leader to be in the hospital as he will not have to deal with the police and fire responses, lol!
Happy to find out who is in control of the City when the Mayor is out. The law does state the Controller, but I thought we had an assistant or vice or whatever that title is "Mayor"?
Good luck on your surgery Mayor.
84% of our General Fund goes to Police and Fire.
$5,830,830 - Police
$6,971,761 - Fire
$34,950 - Police Merit Comm.
So Shirley what does this tell the citizens of New Albany?
Only the fact they want more $$$$
Proposed General Fund for 2009 is $16,134,671
anon 11/13 12:19
As I said before I don't have anything against the police or fire dept. they are certainly needed. But 84% of our General Fund and another raise of 3%!!!!
The council needs to go line by line on the budget and make our expenditures more fair and equal. Everyone else is asked to tighten their belts so these two departments should also.
If the council needs help I'm sure a group of citizens with backgrounds in accounting would be glad to volunteer.
Shirely,
If my experience as a volunteer is any indication, those "accountants" need to run in the other direction!(grin, kinda)
News regarding our "recession" predicting the worse will not be here until the middle of '09.
The passing of this tax under (c), when clearly (a) and (b) had to be enacted soon and where the monies will be allocated to remain a mystery. Better explanations are required. If not, political suicide for those votes; we do not have any money; lucky if we have a job; lucky if we have a home.
The argument presented on another blog about past Council members surely appeared to be personal and not at all pertinent as to why SOME people did not want government money mixed with a non-profit Christian organization. Separation of Church and State may be the part that irks some.
The argument presented on another blog stating certain people should not have been at the Y's Grand Opening I guess means all voters who voted against the Boat and go there should all line up on the gang plank and promptly jump into the Ohio River! Mr. Larocca hasn't stooped to such petty attempts to smear anyone, no matter their vote.
Doug, from what I gather, if someone doesn't loan someone special in town the money for their "new" business downtown, well, get ready for the diatribe, woe will be you and yours.
Why a beer stand in the Y? Doesn't that defeat "health" issues the very Y is to help with? LOL...oxymoronic individuals!
With the lack of comments right now on the blogs my suspicions are the election, the economy, personal healthcare worries, monies for the children have usurped people's activism - - that and be skewered as the next village idiot if you dare to open your mouth no matter how you feel.
Howcome MOST OF US are not worthy of having opinions? That's right, retribution if we use our names and retribution if you do (there goes that oxymoronic reasoning again).
Keep up the good works all. FOS laid it out for us on the LOIT tax. Political suicide I say, political suicide. BUT, WE WILL SEE, WON'T WE? Thanks for the space, Shirley. Liked your letter to the Editor. Hang in there! A friend.
CORRECTION THERE: Retribution if you do use your name and retribution if YOU DO NOT. Thanks.
Regardless of what others say it seems to me Councilman Price has been right all along.
Also, I checked out today about the bond story posted on Freedom Of Speech. "It's true."
The hospital owes big bucks back to Floyd County taxpayers.
Maybe they will give Erik a finders fee?
Great job Freedom Of Speech for uncovering the millions of dollars owed to all of us.
I agree with you, Councilman Price has been right all along.
Love your blog.
I think it's time to cut expenditures on "nice to have things" where there is no direct evidence of economic return. Well lets see, lets start at the top raises, take home cars, longitivity pay. Has anyone seen the list of longivity pay being paid out?
Get rid of alot of key postitions within City Hall, we don't need half of them, all they do is go to meetings and double dip the taxpayers.
Stop wasting our money, hald of the workers stand around and watch the others work.
typ: half the workers stand around and watch others work.
Councilwoman Fenley told me today the county does not have the money to purchase salt for the roads this winter.
Does anyone know if the city has salt?
That was a dumb question...right?
It is time the mayor and council to pay the piper. Enough is enough. "One size does not fit all." go back to the "pay as you go" don't have the money, then don't spend it, or try next year. We all want that dream home and big pool and nice cars. But hard times are on us. Let's really get serious folks, cut out the middle management. Have garbage pick up every 2 weeks in the winter. Start figuring out away to collect fines owed. Eliminate all overtime completely, and stop hiring consultants to do the city work. Is that not why we pay staff?
Thanks to everyone who commented on this topic. What is the answer? Who knows?
I just know that I am tired of the "old boy system" in this town. Yes, we are ALL entitled to our opinion whether or not anyone agrees with us.
As far as who should attend functions at Scribner Place, I don't think the YMCA cares how anyone voted, they are just happy to have the customers.
Thanks anon 11:20 for reading my letter to the Tribune. I didn't know if anyone read it. There will be further discussion on the healthcare issue shortly.
Have a great day everyne.
CARL HAS 95,000 REASONS TO NOT MESS WITH THE CITY BUDGET. HIS PAYCHECK.
I read these comments about about how everyone is entitled to their opinions. I agree with that--exactly who doesn't?
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