MONROE - The City of Monroe Finance and Taxation Committee made one final adjustment in the proposed 2009 budget Thursday before sending it to the City Council.
It transferred $15,000 from the $233,500 proposed street construction capital funds to the newly-created marketing fund. Committee members earmarked the funds for the Green County Development Corporation (GCDC). The funds are about half of what Monroe has been contributing.
All funding for GCDC had been cut during a budget meeting Oct. 16, when committee members had to strip $375,000 from the city budget.
Thursday night, GCDC Executive Director Anna Schramke made an emotional appeal to the committee not to abandon the work GCDC has started and the new marketing initiatives and campaign programs set to kick off in December.
"They're just pipe dreams unless we have the funds to continue the organization," she said.
Schramke also offered to sit with the committee to "figure out what we can do besides 100 percent" funding.
Without the city's financial contribution, Schramke said it would become "extremely hard to convince businesses of the community to say they'll continue" working through the organization.
Schramke also told the committee there were some "huge issues" she hoped to have addressed at the state level. Some there have the impression Monroe's focus is "always about Monroe and not about what's around them," she said. "We have to tell the world that things have changed."
"We have a lot of work to do, and cutting economic development is not going to solve the problem," she said.
Schramke said she was most frustrated by the lack of communication from the city, since the loss of a city administrator.
"I do want your input," she said, but has heard no "comeback" nor any concerns from city leaders after GCDC presentations.
"The frustration I have is that we feel like we're playing catch-up on information," Schramke said.
Being cut from the city's budget "caught us off guard," she said.
Mayor Ron Marsh said he had no authority to announce GCDC funding was being cut, until the budget is finalized Nov. 18, when the city council votes on it, or at least until the committee was done making its adjustments.
Marsh also said he had not seen enough evidence of the benefits GCDC has provided to the city since he became mayor in 2006.
"There was $27,000 in 2006, $28,000 in 2007, $29,000 in 2008. That's almost $90,000. What have we seen come back in economic benefit from that?" Marsh asked Schramke.
Marsh also said he has not received a copy of GCDC budgets, which he has asked for since 2006, and that the annual reports were not enough information.
"I never got a list, and I asked many times, you and the board. And I never got it. Never," he said. "The annual report doesn't say who you see or who you contact."
Marsh also said GCDC was having trouble raising the $50,000 it needs from the public to cover its costs. His first concern as mayor, he said, is to the people who worked on the payroll; GCDC was not on the payroll, Marsh said.
"Do you think you'd be better off without our organization?" Schramke asked him.
"Yes, I do," he said.
Schramke responded by noting GCDC's work is not just about attracting businesses, but also about building relationships with and among business leaders.
Some intangible things, like improving leadership, cannot have a value placed on it, she said.
Alderman Keith Ingwell spoke in support to GCDC early in the meeting.
"I'd like to see Anna and the Chamber be given a chance to work together at least a year or so, especially with the way things are now," he said, referring the tight economic conditions.
The city entered into a $12,500-plus-expenses contract this fall with MCCI for the marketing services of its director, Pam Christopher.
Ingwell had suggested an amount equal to 25 percent of the city's past contribution, or about $7,500.
Committee member Charles Koch eventually asked Schramke if $12,000 would "float."
"We'll make it work," she told him. "But we won't take it until we can show a way to make it work."
But it was committee member Mark Coplien who made the GCDC the best offer of the night, $15,000.
Coplien sought to press the reason behind his offer, in light of an economy in which people are beginning to be laid off.
"We understand, nobody wants to take something away from the community or GCDC or you. We went through this (budget) list by list, to see what we can do to survive. We're in such a predicament, it isn't funny," he told Schramke.
"We've got to support each other; a lot of people need to learn that in every facet," he said.
"2009 is not going to be much better. We'll have to dig our way out."
It transferred $15,000 from the $233,500 proposed street construction capital funds to the newly-created marketing fund. Committee members earmarked the funds for the Green County Development Corporation (GCDC). The funds are about half of what Monroe has been contributing.
All funding for GCDC had been cut during a budget meeting Oct. 16, when committee members had to strip $375,000 from the city budget.
Thursday night, GCDC Executive Director Anna Schramke made an emotional appeal to the committee not to abandon the work GCDC has started and the new marketing initiatives and campaign programs set to kick off in December.
"They're just pipe dreams unless we have the funds to continue the organization," she said.
Schramke also offered to sit with the committee to "figure out what we can do besides 100 percent" funding.
Without the city's financial contribution, Schramke said it would become "extremely hard to convince businesses of the community to say they'll continue" working through the organization.
Schramke also told the committee there were some "huge issues" she hoped to have addressed at the state level. Some there have the impression Monroe's focus is "always about Monroe and not about what's around them," she said. "We have to tell the world that things have changed."
"We have a lot of work to do, and cutting economic development is not going to solve the problem," she said.
Schramke said she was most frustrated by the lack of communication from the city, since the loss of a city administrator.
"I do want your input," she said, but has heard no "comeback" nor any concerns from city leaders after GCDC presentations.
"The frustration I have is that we feel like we're playing catch-up on information," Schramke said.
Being cut from the city's budget "caught us off guard," she said.
Mayor Ron Marsh said he had no authority to announce GCDC funding was being cut, until the budget is finalized Nov. 18, when the city council votes on it, or at least until the committee was done making its adjustments.
Marsh also said he had not seen enough evidence of the benefits GCDC has provided to the city since he became mayor in 2006.
"There was $27,000 in 2006, $28,000 in 2007, $29,000 in 2008. That's almost $90,000. What have we seen come back in economic benefit from that?" Marsh asked Schramke.
Marsh also said he has not received a copy of GCDC budgets, which he has asked for since 2006, and that the annual reports were not enough information.
"I never got a list, and I asked many times, you and the board. And I never got it. Never," he said. "The annual report doesn't say who you see or who you contact."
Marsh also said GCDC was having trouble raising the $50,000 it needs from the public to cover its costs. His first concern as mayor, he said, is to the people who worked on the payroll; GCDC was not on the payroll, Marsh said.
"Do you think you'd be better off without our organization?" Schramke asked him.
"Yes, I do," he said.
Schramke responded by noting GCDC's work is not just about attracting businesses, but also about building relationships with and among business leaders.
Some intangible things, like improving leadership, cannot have a value placed on it, she said.
Alderman Keith Ingwell spoke in support to GCDC early in the meeting.
"I'd like to see Anna and the Chamber be given a chance to work together at least a year or so, especially with the way things are now," he said, referring the tight economic conditions.
The city entered into a $12,500-plus-expenses contract this fall with MCCI for the marketing services of its director, Pam Christopher.
Ingwell had suggested an amount equal to 25 percent of the city's past contribution, or about $7,500.
Committee member Charles Koch eventually asked Schramke if $12,000 would "float."
"We'll make it work," she told him. "But we won't take it until we can show a way to make it work."
But it was committee member Mark Coplien who made the GCDC the best offer of the night, $15,000.
Coplien sought to press the reason behind his offer, in light of an economy in which people are beginning to be laid off.
"We understand, nobody wants to take something away from the community or GCDC or you. We went through this (budget) list by list, to see what we can do to survive. We're in such a predicament, it isn't funny," he told Schramke.
"We've got to support each other; a lot of people need to learn that in every facet," he said.
"2009 is not going to be much better. We'll have to dig our way out."