•FY2011 Budget
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FY2011 Budget (archived)
Link to download 2011 Proposed Budget
Spreadsheet format for FY2011 Budget (link)
Budget - Increases We Can Cut-
Council Member Ricci, 06/15/2010
Citizen Statements:
•Freeze to Balance Budget, Paulette Carr, Gannon Ave.
•A 5 Year Plan, Larry Taylor, Stanford Ave.
•ECONOMIZE!, Elsie Glickert, Etzel
•Give CM Guidelines - PLEASE!, Paulette Carr, Gannon Ave.
•July 26, 2010 No promised budget cuts brought to meeting - not on Agenda!
There was no discussion of the budget, and no proposed budget cuts from the interim City Manager as was promised by the Mayor who was on vacation.The council has apparently abandoned the effort to balance this budget with expenditure cuts. They are looking forward to working on the FY2012 Budget beginning in late August or early November after the new City Manager takes over. This fiscal year (FY2011) has barely begun, and they seem to have abandoned their budget responsibility for this year... There appears to be a pattern of promises with no delivery. (Agenda)
•June 21, 2010 Vote on FY 2011 Budget
At the regular City Council Meeting the Council voted to adopt the FY2011 Budget Proposed by the Interim City Manager by a vote of 4:3. The Council asked the Interim City Manager, Janet Watson to find $300,000 of reduction to the budget without specifying from where the cuts might come. To further reduce the budget deficit they plan to take funds from the Unspecified Reserve Fund, and are hoping that the settlement with telecom company, T-Mobile, will arrive in time to offset the $1.2M deficit.
Voting to accept the budget were Mayor Welsch, Council Members Kraft, Price and Sharpe. Voting against the budget as it stands were Council Members Crow, Glickert, and Ricci.
Ms. Watson will return to the council with her list of proposed cuts at the July 26, 2010 Council Meeting. The Mayor, however, announced at the June 14, 2010 Study Session that she would be on vacation in Michigan at the time that the interim City Manager will present her list of cuts. We feel that it is important that every member of the council, including the Mayor, be present to hear about, discuss and vote on the cuts, since that was the compromise put forth by the mayor - and passed by the council.
Citizen Statements to Council:
Give CM Guidelines - PLEASE!, Paulette Carr, Gannon Ave.
Public Comments to Council on Budget 6/1/09, Stephen Kraft, Creveling
Comments:
•Maureen Axelbaum, Gannon Ave. (June 24, 2010)
Question: Did the board[City Council] accept your argument to freeze the salaries at 2010 levels? If not, they are not acting in the best interest of U city tax payers!
•Council Member Statements:
Budget - Increases We Can Cut - Council Member Ricci, June 15, 2010
"As a council we never set a direction, discussed ,etc. a policy of no raises, spending freezes, etc. Attached in spreadsheet are some increases from last year's budget that I think can wait, are not explained, etc. These include increases (in this economy) in salaries, staff training, laundry services, "miscellaneous."
We need to set a policy of no increases at this time."
•June 7: Public Hearing on Budget Link to Agenda
Citizen Statements:
Freeze to Balance Budget, Paulette Carr, Gannon Ave.
•May 24, 2010 Budget Study Session
Unofficial Notes taken by Jan Adams (citizen) who attended
In Attendance: Mayor Shelley Welsch
Ward 1 Council Member Terry Crow
Ward 1 Council Member Stephen Kraft
Ward 2 Council Member Michael Glickert
Ward 2 Council Member Lynn Ricci
Ward 3 Council Member Byron Price
Ward 3 Council Member Arthur Sharpe
Interim City Manager Janet Watson
City Attorney John Mulligan
City Clerk, Joyce Pumm – excused absence
Citizens present: Jan Adams
Mark Donohoe
Ms. Watson said it was her understanding that the previous Council voted to balance the budget by withdrawing funds from the reserve – all $2.5M, if necessary.
Mr. Mulligan said he expects another telecom settlement that will net the City of U City $600,000. This is a tax to be passed on to the T-Mobile customers. Mr. Mulligan will receive his attorney’s fees for this class action settlement he did with the previous settlements with telecom companies. Mr. Mulligan also proposed the collection of unpaid parking tickets by adding the fine to the property tax bill (NOTE: there may be an issue of constitutionality regarding this. Do we want to incur additional attorney’s fees to defend the constitutional issue?)
Mr. Crow is opposed to using the reserves and advocated for service reductions. Mr. Crow asked what the other members want to do about cuts and Mr. Price said that they must wait for the June 7th Public Hearing “to see what the people want.” Mr. Crow said we heard in response to the two tax referenda, but Mr. Price said that people were told lies and when they learn from the auditor that there is no “hidden money, no $10M in a drawer somewhere,” and when they hear the true consequence of the failure of the referenda, they will likely vote yes if given a chance.
Mr. Kraft said he thinks we can save $500,000 by re-organizing and eliminating certain department directors.
Ms. Ricci asked Ms. Watson where the 240 temporary employees worked last year. Ms. Watson said that she couldn’t tell her where they worked.
Ms. Watson advocated for keeping the “Cadillac” health insurance policy. Mayor Welsch asked for hard number on cost savings with higher co-pay, etc. (Potential Issue: Under the new Health Care Reform Act, the city may be taxed for providing such a plan.)
Ms. Ricci pointed out that the budget for the pension plan increased from $300K to $500K, and there is no credit for collections of past due refuse bills. Ms. Watson said that they have reduced some of the bills by 50% so she cannot rely on collecting all that is due.
Mr. Kraft noted the decision to outsource will take many months and we may need to make some cuts in the interim.
Mayor Welsch, in closing, asked Ms. Watson to post her presentation on the website and provide for citizen input by email prior to the hearing.
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• UCityCitizen.org • Paulette Carr, Ward 2 Councilmember, City of University City • University City, Missouri 63130 •