MONROE - Monroe aldermen Thurston Hanson and Jan Lefevre Monday took the lead in trying to reduce funding for the Green County Development Corporation, saying the results aren't worth the $30,000 the city is paying this year.
Both argued in a full council meeting that Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has shown more results in economic development with $15,000 from the city in 2010 than GCDC has done with $30,000.
Lefevre wanted to "send a signal" that the city was rewarding MCCI for its efforts. She said she would not cut GCDC funding completely but wanted to split $45,000 of the marketing budget, with MCCI and GCDC getting about $22,500 each.
MCCI representatives were asking for $15,000, the same as the city paid the organization in 2010. However, funding for MCCI was initially left out of the city's preliminary budget. The city contracted with MCCI for marketing and economic development services when it was without a city administrator. Now that the city is close to hiring a new city administrator, the $15,000 was earmarked to help pay for that position.
Hanson wanted to cut all funding to GCDC, saying he has not seen the organization's efforts paying off in Monroe.
He defended his position by adding that he had pushed to get GCDC funding increased from $15,000 in 2009 to $30,000 in 2010, to give the organization "time to turn it around."
Dan Henke, who is an appointed member of the GCDC board of directors, Mayor Bill Ross and Charles Koch spoke on the county-wide efforts of GCDC. Accomplishments in other communities in Green County does benefit Monroe, they contended.
Lefevre's motion to split the marketing budget between GCDC and MCCI was defeated; she and Hanson were the only votes in favor of the motion.
As a result, the budget, at this point, includes $30,000 for GCDC and $15,000 for MCCI.
Funding for the Green County Humane Society was another highly debated line item.
Last week, the Finance and Taxation Committee voted 2 to 1 to include $15,800 in the budget to fund the Green County Humane Society, up from its 2010 budget of $2,000. GCHS representatives asked for the budget increase to help cover more of the cost of caring for animals that come from within the city. The city wants to renegotiate the contract with GCHS and seek increased animal control services from the organization.
In full council, Koch made a motion, seconded by Hanson, to fund the organization only $5,800. It was defeated on a 3-6 vote, with Lefevre voting in favor with Koch and Hanson.
Henke then made a motion, seconded by Neal Hunter, to budget $15,000 for the humane society. That motion barely passed on a 5-4 vote. Michael Boyce, Lefevre, Koch and Kent Kallembach voted against the measure.
Immediately after the vote, Henke reminded the other council members that they had not approved the budget, but had simply voted on the one line item to get the process of reducing the budget moving.
The council is waiting for more financial information, including an IT service contract to be awarded and to see how union negotiations progress, before aldermen finalize the budget.
For every 1 percent increase in union salaries, the council will need to find about $66,000 extra in the budget, according to Cathy Maurer, city treasurer.
After the budget levy is set, any cuts that need to be made will have to come from within the budget, Maurer said.
The levy for the City of Monroe 2011 budget now stands at about $110,000 more than the 2010 budget.
All together, aldermen whittled the budget levy to 1.81 percent more than the 2010 budget Monday, after voting unanimously to suspend its meeting rules to work together on the budget.
Council members were working with budget decreases already accomplished Oct. 6 by the Finance and Taxation Committee, which had brought the 2011 budget from a potential 14 percent increase to a 2.37 percent increase compared to the 2010 budget levy of $6.104 million.
The budget currently does not include any applied debt service, which the council can still chose to apply.
Alderman Keith Ingwell was absent. The council did not set a date for its next budget meeting.
Both argued in a full council meeting that Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) has shown more results in economic development with $15,000 from the city in 2010 than GCDC has done with $30,000.
Lefevre wanted to "send a signal" that the city was rewarding MCCI for its efforts. She said she would not cut GCDC funding completely but wanted to split $45,000 of the marketing budget, with MCCI and GCDC getting about $22,500 each.
MCCI representatives were asking for $15,000, the same as the city paid the organization in 2010. However, funding for MCCI was initially left out of the city's preliminary budget. The city contracted with MCCI for marketing and economic development services when it was without a city administrator. Now that the city is close to hiring a new city administrator, the $15,000 was earmarked to help pay for that position.
Hanson wanted to cut all funding to GCDC, saying he has not seen the organization's efforts paying off in Monroe.
He defended his position by adding that he had pushed to get GCDC funding increased from $15,000 in 2009 to $30,000 in 2010, to give the organization "time to turn it around."
Dan Henke, who is an appointed member of the GCDC board of directors, Mayor Bill Ross and Charles Koch spoke on the county-wide efforts of GCDC. Accomplishments in other communities in Green County does benefit Monroe, they contended.
Lefevre's motion to split the marketing budget between GCDC and MCCI was defeated; she and Hanson were the only votes in favor of the motion.
As a result, the budget, at this point, includes $30,000 for GCDC and $15,000 for MCCI.
Funding for the Green County Humane Society was another highly debated line item.
Last week, the Finance and Taxation Committee voted 2 to 1 to include $15,800 in the budget to fund the Green County Humane Society, up from its 2010 budget of $2,000. GCHS representatives asked for the budget increase to help cover more of the cost of caring for animals that come from within the city. The city wants to renegotiate the contract with GCHS and seek increased animal control services from the organization.
In full council, Koch made a motion, seconded by Hanson, to fund the organization only $5,800. It was defeated on a 3-6 vote, with Lefevre voting in favor with Koch and Hanson.
Henke then made a motion, seconded by Neal Hunter, to budget $15,000 for the humane society. That motion barely passed on a 5-4 vote. Michael Boyce, Lefevre, Koch and Kent Kallembach voted against the measure.
Immediately after the vote, Henke reminded the other council members that they had not approved the budget, but had simply voted on the one line item to get the process of reducing the budget moving.
The council is waiting for more financial information, including an IT service contract to be awarded and to see how union negotiations progress, before aldermen finalize the budget.
For every 1 percent increase in union salaries, the council will need to find about $66,000 extra in the budget, according to Cathy Maurer, city treasurer.
After the budget levy is set, any cuts that need to be made will have to come from within the budget, Maurer said.
The levy for the City of Monroe 2011 budget now stands at about $110,000 more than the 2010 budget.
All together, aldermen whittled the budget levy to 1.81 percent more than the 2010 budget Monday, after voting unanimously to suspend its meeting rules to work together on the budget.
Council members were working with budget decreases already accomplished Oct. 6 by the Finance and Taxation Committee, which had brought the 2011 budget from a potential 14 percent increase to a 2.37 percent increase compared to the 2010 budget levy of $6.104 million.
The budget currently does not include any applied debt service, which the council can still chose to apply.
Alderman Keith Ingwell was absent. The council did not set a date for its next budget meeting.