It's a really big shoo set to take place at 505 Butler Place! The agenda (.pdf) for tonight's City Council meeting includes the long anticipated Budget Veto Message from Mayor Schmidtzkrieg. And as we expected, Mayor Schmidtzkrieg intends to pass the hot potato budget buck back to the City Council -- our expectations were confirmed in an email Mayor Schmidtzkrieg sent out last week.
From: "Dave Schmidt" dave@parkridgemayor.com
To: supporters@electdaveschmidt.com
Good evening-
Most of you know that the City Council passed a budget resolution on April 17 which I termed as "hopelessly flawed." On the surface it appears to be balanced, but I have analyzed the projected revenue figures and believe they are overstated, perhaps by as much as $1.2million, possibly even more. Meanwhile, the budget which was adopted will result in the layoffs of six police department personnel and members of the fire and public works departments. Additionally, the City's non-union staff has been cut, and those who remain will have their salaries frozen for a second year in a row.
Against that backdrop, the Council voted to spend over $350,000 on contributions to community groups and to fund the fight against O'Hare expansion. I have received many phone calls and e-mails from residents who have implored me to leave those expenditures in the budget, and even more calls and messages insisting that they be removed. I have also received much advice on whether I should veto the entire budget or simply veto those parts of the budget that I feel are unnecessary or unwise expenditures. Some believe that the latter course of action is the only way I can exhibit "leadership" on the budget issue.
I have given the matter a lot of thought and consulted with the City Attorney on the extent of my powers. I have also played out different scenarios in my mind, and I have concluded that the best course of action is to veto the entire budget and try again. I plan to explain the basis for my projected revenue concerns and the reasons for the veto in greater detail on Monday evening, but for now I can summarize my thought process as follows:
First, I cannot line item veto inflated revenue projections, only expenditures. The City Council needs to take a much harder look at those projections and adopt a far more conservative approach than it has to date. Once those revenue projections have been revised, then the Council needs to decide how to increase revenues and further cut expenditures to achieve an actual balanced budget.
I will recommend that the aldermen start with the O'Hare and community group expenditures. The aldermen should also consider additional staff reductions and/or furlough days to reduce the City's overall personnel expense, something I also cannot do by way of a line item veto. The Council also needs to look once more at the library's budget. I do believe that the library is an essential part of the fabric of our town, but not every program offered by the library is, itself, essential.
I know the aldermen do not relish more budget discussions, but we were all elected to do a job, and it is essential to the financial survival of the City that we do the job right. It is my hope that the aldermen will recognize their obligation to the citizens and sustain my veto.
We're looking forward to hearing Mayor Schmidtzkrieg's analysis of City Manager Hock's projected revenues, and we cannot wait to hear Mayor Schmidtzkrieg's recommendations for cuts to community group expenditures and additional staff reductions.
It promises to be one helluva really big shoo tonight!
18 comments:
Well...hell...make enough cuts to staff and, by "attrition," you can cut the costs for the programs too...because there won't be enough people to carry out the programs...
The mayor sounds reasonable in his email. His analysis of revenues should be interesting.
LOL. Great video choice Pru. Brings back memories.
Pru, I agree Schmidt inherited the budget cluster, but I think he should have done more along the way during the ten meetings he held for the budget talks.
We'll get to know tonight what Schmidt has been thinking through all of those meetings. Better late than never.
I don't understand all the technicalities of the veto thing. All I know is my taxes are going to go up, my water rates are going to go up, my sewer rates are going to go up, my vehicle sticker fee is going to go up, and prices for things I don't even know about are probably going to go up, and I'm not getting anything more for all of the increases.
Anon@12:04 --
Haven't you noticed the very same thing happen when you buy other items?
Costs increase and, to maintain a positive balance sheet, both private and public entities pass those increases along.
In the public sector cost increases are not necessarily tied to a specific item -- like the vehicle stickers. But govt. looks for a way to cover cost increases and shortfalls by raising rates where they can.
In the private sector, if it costs a company more to produce a particular item, the consumer will pay more for that item -- unless a competitor has found a way to offer the same item at a lower price, then the consumer can choose to take their money elsewhere.
Unfortunately, consumers -- taxpayers -- of government services don't have that luxury.
I have noticed prices go up for the same items but like you said I can shop some place else.
11:29 hit it on the head. 10 meetings and no leadership and a budget veto from the mayor because he says he doesn't think the budget is balanced and now he wants to start everything over. You have to love how efficient these guys are.
May 3, 2010 3:25 PM
Who "wants to start everything over"? I have been following this budget mess since January and I have not heard one person say, nor read that one person has said, that he "wants to start everything over."
If Schmidt vetoes the budget, it's up to the city council to decide whether or not to over-ride that veto. If they don't, then it's up to the city council to decide what additional expenses they have to cut, or which revenues they have to raise, to address whatever concerns Schmidt raises.
Or they can send back to him exactly what they just passed, let him veto it again, and then over-ride that second veto.
It may not be pretty, and we may not like it, but that's the way this form of city government works. So either elect better officials, sign on for Ken Balaskovits' plan to make us a village, or suck it up.
3:40 you sound like a crackpot if you don't know putting the budget back to the council is starting everything over again. Where was all the mayors leadership, suggestions and analysis during the 10 meetings? The only thing you are right about is it's not pretty.
Dave's doing what he's gotta do, better late than never. I'm behind him in this.
If the Mayor did a line item veto, would each line item veto have to be voted on by the Aldermen?
If each one had to be voted on by the Aldermen would the Mayor's vetos have a better chance for being sustained?
Anon@7:15 --
We're not sure but we believe you're correct. And that's one of the reasons we urged Mayor Schmidt to approach the budget with a discerning veto pen.
Still, Mayor Schmidt's analysis and objections to the revenue projections are something we've been...Wondering about and, in light of all the barking about a total budget veto along with our inability to read with any clarity what the hell is going on in Springfield, one of the reasons we haven't been more insistent on which approach we prefer.
It should all be very interesting if not totally entertaining.
Thanks PRU.
You're welcome.
What a mess, I can't imagine what additional STAFF CUTS you can make. WTF...Haven't we cut enough employees? How many more cops, firemen, CSO's and public works people can this city afford to lose before we just shut it down.
Drop the F#$%ing O'Hare BS. Its a waste of F$%^ing money. Community groups will have to raise money on their own until there is a SURPLUS of funds. Allow some Billboards near the expressway and lets start moving in the right direction. And it is nice to see our Mayor step up to the plate after his nice trip to Hawaii, I hope he is refreshed, considering he didn't have any bright ideas for the past 4 months. Perhaps the STAFF REDUCTIONS should start with our council and mayor.
12:24AM:
".........believe they are overstated, perhaps by as much as $1.2million, possibly even more".
If one agrees with the Mayor, you could cut O'hare and every singloe community group and it will not avoid more staff cuts.
I have to admit it is funny the tone of the criticism (or should I say lack of criticism) depending on what side you are on. When I read the passing references to a Hawaii vacation, I could not help but think about what would have been written by and on the blogs had it been the prior administration.
May 4, 2010 8:19 AM
If by "the prior administration" you mean Frimark, he didn't have to go to Hawaii because he had a second year-round home in Bonita Springs, FLA.
Does that make you happy?
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