Boldly Going Nowhere!

"Revenue -- the Final Budget Frontier. These are the voyages of the Park Ridge City Council. Their annual mission: to explore strange, new fees and taxes, to seek out new cuts in services and new capital expenditures, to boldly go nowhere as they've done before."

Our sources report that last night's budget review COW was an exercise in futility that raised more questions among the City Council, and revealed more of their lack of understanding of the budget process, than the taxpaying public may have hoped for.

After the meeting began, outgoing Mayor Howard turned the gavel over to the 2nd ward's Lord of the Manor, Ald. Rich DiPietro, who is chairman of the City Council's Finance and Budget committee.

The City Council unanimously voted to reserve the City's volume cap (.pdf) without discussion.

Then City Manager Jim Hock succinctly explained the current state of the City budget by saying "revenue generation has been a problem" in the current economy, along with "unanticipated expenditures such as the cost of road salt."

Mr. Hock also explained that while the State of Illinois has proposed a 50% increase in the income tax, the legislation proposed in Springfield expressly excludes municipalities from receiving any greater portion of that income tax increase as they normally would.

Mr. Hock then went on to explain that City staff is recommending cuts to the budget that include a wage and step freeze for all employees, along with postponement of the alley paving program, withdrawal from the Northwest Municipal Conference, stopping the removal of vermin, and other various cuts to departmental budgets.

Ms. Carrie Davis, our new Director of Community Preservation and Development, indicated that the City would no longer give out traps and come to remove various vermin from residents' property "for free." Residents will now have to contract with private vermin hunters to get the job done.

Mr. Hock also proposed the creation of a sewer enterprise fund -- this fund would involve the shift of expenses from the general fund to a specific sewer enterprise fund and money for the fund would be generated through a substantial increase in the current sewer fees. Mr. Hock indicated the benefit of such an enterprise fund would be monies in the fund would be restricted to use for the sewer system. Mr. Hock also proposed that the City reinstate a maintenance schedule for cleaning, vacuuming, and video taping the sewer system.

The current sewer fee would be raised to $4.73 per household for the first 5000 gallons of water used per month, and is based on the water usage -- the assumption being the amount of water used is also the amount of water going into the sewer system. Our sources tell us the annual cost per average household would be somewhere in the area of $55. However, the City Council also discussed a 5% increase in the water fee which would also add to the annual household bills.

At this point in the evening several of the Aldermen questioned whether or not creating this fund would help address any recommendations for repairs to the sewer system the consultant hired to study trouble spots in the system may bring to the Council.

After much discussion about the sewer fee and sewer enterprise fund, nothing was settled.

A couple of people in the audience then addressed the Council about cuts being made to community groups that support the arts. Alderman Don Bachtard (3rd ward) indicated it was "heartbreaking" that the Council's earlier indication that cuts in funding to community groups should not be made, are still on the table.

Our sources report that soon after the committee chairman, Ald. DiPietro, suggested that the Council meet again because there were still too many questions among the Aldermen.

With that the Council moved to go into closed session to discuss matters of collective bargaining.

So there you have it people, a quickie COW recap of our City Council boldly going nowhere.

Editorial addition -- we are also told the City Manager handed out several documents to the Council during the meeting, however, none of the documents have been posted on the City's web site, nor were the documents shared with the audience in attendance at last night's meeting.