Well last meeting council sent administration away, to review the 2011 budget package.
I "assumed" (bad word) that tonight they would come back with a slightly fine tuned package that allows the politicians to look better.
If you go to the right of my blog and click on the Municipal Web site, you can read for yourself under council packages what is being brought back by administration tonight.
It's the same proposal as last time, so the politicians have clearly had the tough choices thrown back into their lap by administration.
Many Options available:
They can eat what they are being spoon fed.
They can go with a recommended 0% tax increase, or 1 or 2%.
They can choice to create 5 more positions, using the old government theory that we have to get bigger before we get smaller.
They can choice to not put any dollars into reserves.
They can choice to finance two new pieces of equipment, or one or none.
Or they can choice to do something different.
I hear of nothing for affordable housing, marketing the community, economic development, prelimary studies for new facilities etc etc.
Keep in mind that if any of these things are going to be done there will have to be dollars provided at some point. By this time next year when their second budget is finalized their term will be almost half over.
I agree with Councilor Saje no new positions should be hired until the organizational review takes place. We all know once the new positions are in place no review is going to say that a mistake was made. Unfortunatly Councilor Saje will not be there tonight.
Anyway it will be interesting to see what comes out of tonight.
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