It still concerns me when I read something like this:
"Maerz said in years past the program has often gone over budget, so the cuts proposed will be more dramatic than they appear."
When a department head is so flippant about the fact that a program has "often gone over budget," it makes me wonder how many other programs go over budget. What is the process for going over budget? Does the Council approve it? Are the funds taken from somewhere else?
The budget is supposed to be balanced and if it is balanced, allowing a certain amount for such a program (or any number of others) and it (and any number of others) goes over budget, then where does that money come from? It has to come from somewhere.
8 comments:
The statement about often going over budget shows the department head is terribly short sighted. She's so quick to point out what a dramatic impact these budget cuts will have that she doesn't realize she is actually saying they often don't do a good job of estimating their budget but it doesn't really mean anything anyway. Where oh where is the new City Manager - I mean the one that is fiscally responsible and holds staff accountable for their actions? arainbo wants to know.
I am somewhat confused by why we spend 100 grand or so for personnel director Maerz,
and then we still have to hire an outside firm to find a new City Manager. $$$ ????
The Council, as before, will probably hire someone who is already walking around the Busch building anyways....
When you allow the fox to guard the hen house the consequences are evident.
When you allow the very people who created this problem to pick a new city manager the consequences are evident.
Perhaps when the voters change council this next go around the mission of the new council members should be to purge the department heads that can't fully understand a balanced budget or how to run their departments like most people have to run their homes.
When we haven't the money we do without, we don't just keep spending money because we know WE are going to be responsible for it at a later date. YES it is quite easy to claim bankruptcy and move on with your life, however people should be made to pay for their debts NO matter how long it takes for them to earn the money. The same should be said of department heads, if they appropriate money over the departments budget, then the excess should be taken directly from their paycheck or alloted retirement.
The consequences of these actions need to start becoming dire enough that government bureaucrats will start thinking twice before making spending proposals.
Getting kicked out of office only to return with some lobbying firm making 4 times the amount of money isn't a deterrent.
Seems like most of the "new American industries" are created first by lobbyists and their friends... rather than
the private sector.
As for me, I think it is time we look at disolving the city manager/city council form of government and going to a paid elected mayor and paid elected alderman and do away with staff running the city.
I know it will involve a charter change but this is the third largest city in Missouri being run by volunteers!
Well, really it ain't being run by volunteers, it is being run by staff. And I really doubt if this idea will gain the stamp of "staff recommends approval."
busplunge is correct, (again)
When the City staff prepares CIP documents in a nice neat 560 million dollar package and then tells the Council to vote...
The new airport is the next item that will begin to further run the City into the ground, if we are not there already...
Jim,
The idea is already being looked at by our local tax payer advocacy group and will remain a front burner issue through the campaigns to replace current council members that have attributed to the pension shortfall, which will be ALL of those up on this next ballot.
It was interesting that Mr. Deaver said the 08-09 budget was not a permanent fix to the pension problem.
It sure is...
If they would simply quit building things we do not vote on, their problems would be solved.
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