MONROE - Some Finance and Taxation Committee members were not happy with Mayor Ron Marsh's new process for balancing the 2010 budget, Monday.
Marsh said he sat down with City Treasurer/Comptroller Cathy Maurer and Suzie Shaw, city accountant, to reduce individual department budgets.
"Each and every department head looked over the changes and approved them," Marsh told the committee.
If the department heads have any concerns about additional changes the committee made Monday, they will have to come back and talk to the members.
But department heads will not be coming into the budget meetings as they have in the past.
When some committee members asked who had made that decision, Marsh said he did.
"Under what authority?" Alderman Charles Koch asked.
Alderman Dan Henke cited city codes that said the Finance and Taxation Committee was to meet with department heads.
But Marsh stood firm, stating that the committee members would proceed as he had decided.
Later in the meeting, Koch questioned why the sidewalk and crosswalk operating supplies and material supplies were cut, saying they needed some supplies.
"I still don't know why we didn't have these guys in here to talk with us," Koch said about department heads.
Near the end of the meeting, Thurston Hanson said he liked the new process, with department heads "meeting behind the scenes" with Maurer and Marsh.
"I think it's a much better process," he said.
After looking at the new budget figures he had laid out Marsh said department heads were "more than happy" to give up mostly supplies "so as not to lay-off people."
Marsh said he sat down with City Treasurer/Comptroller Cathy Maurer and Suzie Shaw, city accountant, to reduce individual department budgets.
"Each and every department head looked over the changes and approved them," Marsh told the committee.
If the department heads have any concerns about additional changes the committee made Monday, they will have to come back and talk to the members.
But department heads will not be coming into the budget meetings as they have in the past.
When some committee members asked who had made that decision, Marsh said he did.
"Under what authority?" Alderman Charles Koch asked.
Alderman Dan Henke cited city codes that said the Finance and Taxation Committee was to meet with department heads.
But Marsh stood firm, stating that the committee members would proceed as he had decided.
Later in the meeting, Koch questioned why the sidewalk and crosswalk operating supplies and material supplies were cut, saying they needed some supplies.
"I still don't know why we didn't have these guys in here to talk with us," Koch said about department heads.
Near the end of the meeting, Thurston Hanson said he liked the new process, with department heads "meeting behind the scenes" with Maurer and Marsh.
"I think it's a much better process," he said.
After looking at the new budget figures he had laid out Marsh said department heads were "more than happy" to give up mostly supplies "so as not to lay-off people."