MONROE - The city is turning a new page on the Common Council, according to Mayor Bill Ross.
He met with aldermen and department heads Wednesday to establish what he believes citizens want to see in their city government; namely lower taxes, better communication and more transparency.
Being called the new-old mayor, Ross said this term in office is going to be different than his previous terms in the late 1990s and early 2000s, because of the current economic situation.
"The budget this time around is all about cutting expenses," he said.
Ross said he will be spending more time with Green County Development Corporation, the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Monroe Main Street and government representatives in Madison as well as Green County and surrounding towns and villages, in an effort to find ways to work together to find jobs and cut expenses.
"I'm really worried about the budget," he said.
Ross said he's concerned that shared state revenues for the city are an unknown budget items at this time.
He does not want to wait until fall to start budgeting, Ross said, and asked department heads to start working on their own budgets and talking to employees for their ideas and input.
He also said he wants to bring state representatives to Monroe to talk about how the state budget is going to affect city budgets.
Ross also wants to "get cross communication going" between department heads and council members, as well as getting more information out to the public.
"Many people do not know what's going on in the city," he said. "We need to get out into the public and not try to hide anything."
Ross said that department heads are the experts in their fields and will be allowed to talk directly to the press.
"I see no problem with that," Ross said. "If the press has a story to do - that doesn't deal with personnel - I don't see anything wrong with that."
In his role as ambassador of the city, Ross said groups want to know what's going on in the city.
"The costs, the schedule and the detours, that's what people want to know," he said. "So I have to be as informed as possible, not micro details; that's (department heads') jobs."
Ross is also preparing to set Board of Public Works meetings at various city services locations around the city. He said board members need to see first hand how the departments function.
"I want to get council members out of City Hall, do tours, get a better idea of what's going on in the city," he said.
Ross said the city charter set up a mayor-council system of government "with a weak mayor system." In this form of government the mayor runs meetings and breaks tie votes, and council members set policy and run the business of the city with the help of the department heads.
"The way I see it, alderpersons and department heads work in step with one another. Taxpayers support the budget and expect us to be the best stewards of their money," he said.
Ross also listed finding a new city administrator and wastewater treatment plant utility superintendent, and finishing the 8th, 9th streets project as significant objectives of his term.
He met with aldermen and department heads Wednesday to establish what he believes citizens want to see in their city government; namely lower taxes, better communication and more transparency.
Being called the new-old mayor, Ross said this term in office is going to be different than his previous terms in the late 1990s and early 2000s, because of the current economic situation.
"The budget this time around is all about cutting expenses," he said.
Ross said he will be spending more time with Green County Development Corporation, the Monroe Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Monroe Main Street and government representatives in Madison as well as Green County and surrounding towns and villages, in an effort to find ways to work together to find jobs and cut expenses.
"I'm really worried about the budget," he said.
Ross said he's concerned that shared state revenues for the city are an unknown budget items at this time.
He does not want to wait until fall to start budgeting, Ross said, and asked department heads to start working on their own budgets and talking to employees for their ideas and input.
He also said he wants to bring state representatives to Monroe to talk about how the state budget is going to affect city budgets.
Ross also wants to "get cross communication going" between department heads and council members, as well as getting more information out to the public.
"Many people do not know what's going on in the city," he said. "We need to get out into the public and not try to hide anything."
Ross said that department heads are the experts in their fields and will be allowed to talk directly to the press.
"I see no problem with that," Ross said. "If the press has a story to do - that doesn't deal with personnel - I don't see anything wrong with that."
In his role as ambassador of the city, Ross said groups want to know what's going on in the city.
"The costs, the schedule and the detours, that's what people want to know," he said. "So I have to be as informed as possible, not micro details; that's (department heads') jobs."
Ross is also preparing to set Board of Public Works meetings at various city services locations around the city. He said board members need to see first hand how the departments function.
"I want to get council members out of City Hall, do tours, get a better idea of what's going on in the city," he said.
Ross said the city charter set up a mayor-council system of government "with a weak mayor system." In this form of government the mayor runs meetings and breaks tie votes, and council members set policy and run the business of the city with the help of the department heads.
"The way I see it, alderpersons and department heads work in step with one another. Taxpayers support the budget and expect us to be the best stewards of their money," he said.
Ross also listed finding a new city administrator and wastewater treatment plant utility superintendent, and finishing the 8th, 9th streets project as significant objectives of his term.