Budget Talks Get Heated During Work Session

Tempers flared Monday during a City Council work session to discuss Mayor Michael E. Bennett's proposed budget.

Councilwoman Ruth Elliott accused Bennett of padding the budget and intentionally evading her before the 4 p.m. work session.

Bennett fired back, saying she consistently stood him up for standing appointments to discuss the city’s spending plan.

A vote on the spending plan that includes a property tax reduction and raises for employees could come as soon as next week.

Elliott said she will vote against Bennett's budget unless he reduces the property tax rate more than planned.

"Until I feel comfortable I can't support this," she said. "A constant yield [property tax rate] is where I think we should be."

Bennett’s proposed budget would reduce the city property tax rate by almost a penny, from nearly 69 cents per $100 of assessed value to 68 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Elliott recommended the budget be cut by at least $73,000 to reach the constant yield tax rate of $.6745 cents per $100 of assessed value—forcing the municipality to keep spending flat at the level of the current budget year.

“These are just my suggestions,” Elliott said. “It’s not personal; it’s just business.”

Elliott recommended a dozen budget reductions, including:

• The senior center from $37,000 to $35,000.
• Police Department special patrols from $45,000 to $38,000.
• Police overtime from $125,000 to $110,000.
• Ammunition for police officers from $15,000 to $10,000.
• Parks and recreation swim club program from $10,000 to $9,000.

In each case, with two months remaining in the current budget year, there was plenty of money left over that had not yet been spent, Elliott said.

“You’re just fluffing up the budget so you can get more money in the fund balance at the end of the year,” Elliott said. “If we’re not using this money and it’s going to go into the fund balance, maybe the budget figures are just too high.”

Bennett took exception to Elliott offering her own last-minute spending plan.

“Constant yield—that’s dismantling of government,” Bennett said. “We’re almost at that. We’ve cut this budget to the bare bones.”

Under the proposed budget for the year beginning July 1, the water use rate would be set at a minimum of $14.50 for the first 3,500 gallons or less and $4.38 per each additional 1,000 gallons. The minimum sanitary sewer use rate would start with a charge of $17.02 for the first 3,500 gallons or less of metered water and $4.85 per each additional 1,000 gallons.

Bennett’s proposed spending plan also includes a nearly 2 percent raise for employees—most of whom have gone without raises in recent years.

City Manager Doug Miller said the city tries not to punish department heads for fiscal responsibility.

“Our philosophy is not to play the game 'if you don’t spend it, you don’t get it the next year,'” Miller said.