Monroe's Common Council was poised to approve the 2014 city budget Tuesday night, Nov. 19 when Alderman Michael Boyce presented a budget amendment, a laundry list of items that could whack another $513,000 off what the city plans to spend in 2014.
We're glad Boyce did.
The budget the Finance and Taxation Committee approved and forwarded to council did itself have a decrease in general fund expenditures - as proposed, the general fund expense would go from $10.45 million in 2013 to $10.37 million in 2014 for a decrease of .69 percent, a tad shy of the committee's initial goal of a 1 percent decrease.
But the total expenditures line tells a different story. This budget line includes not only the general fund, but also funds such as utilities and the airport; the Tax Increment District funds; and capital funds. Total expenditures show the city is looking at increasing spending from $18.28 million in 2013 to about $21.15 million in 2014. To be fair, an exact year-to-year comparison is difficult, as this year's proposed budget includes about $630,000 more in capital projects, as well as about $240,000 in existing accounts that weren't listed under total expenditures in 2013's budget. But even without that approximately $1 million, we're looking at spending, in total, about $2 million more in 2013 than in 2014.
Clearly, there are areas that warrant a closer look.
We think that is what Boyce was trying to accomplish. But his proposed amendment didn't set well with everyone. Alderman Reid Stangel, the chairman of Finance and Taxation, called out Boyce at Tuesday's meeting for bringing his amendments to the table in the "12th hour."
Stangel's criticism is off base. Realistically, Boyce, who is not a member of the Finance and Taxation committee, had no earlier time to share his modifications with the full council.
Stangel also suggested Boyce should have attended committee meetings and shared his ideas there. Actually, it's the committee's job to drill deep and craft a tight budget document. It seems this committee is less involved in the budgeting process than ever before: After its initial meeting in August, it held just two meetings to discuss the budget proposal, the first of which had just two of four regular members present.
Typically, a budget will come from committee before a full board or council for a first reading or initial presentation. Then it is published, with a date set for a public hearing and then a vote on approval. This gives both elected officials and the public ample opportunity to review and ask questions.
But that's not how it works in Monroe, apparently. The committee approved the budget Oct. 28 and published it Nov. 4, but it wasn't included on the Nov. 5 agenda. Boyce did question why it wasn't included on the agenda - according to emails Boyce shared us, Rath said Mayor Bill Ross declined the request to add it to the Nov. 5 meeting. So Boyce brought his ideas to the next council meeting, on Nov. 19.
Some of his modifications make sense: not funding three vacant position in the streets department; maintaining wage increases granted in 2013 but not increasing them again in 2014; eliminating the director of public works position; and reducing capital borrowing costs by more than $480,000 by transferring revenues from TID 7 and the sale of the water department's Wasserhaus.
Others, such as cutting $85,000 by going with an outside vendor rather than using the county transfer station, may not be the direction we as a city want to go.
We're not suggesting carte blanche approval of Boyce's amendment - that would be as irresponsible as rubber-stamping a proposed budget. But we agree with Boyce's assessment that what he has outlined is a realistic approach that could retain existing staff levels, maintain current service levels and still fully fund capital budget requests.
Boyce's "last-minute" budget amendment prompted the council to postpone action on the budget until Tuesday, Nov. 26. Aldermen would serve us - the taxpayers - well to give his suggested modifications due consideration.
We're glad Boyce did.
The budget the Finance and Taxation Committee approved and forwarded to council did itself have a decrease in general fund expenditures - as proposed, the general fund expense would go from $10.45 million in 2013 to $10.37 million in 2014 for a decrease of .69 percent, a tad shy of the committee's initial goal of a 1 percent decrease.
But the total expenditures line tells a different story. This budget line includes not only the general fund, but also funds such as utilities and the airport; the Tax Increment District funds; and capital funds. Total expenditures show the city is looking at increasing spending from $18.28 million in 2013 to about $21.15 million in 2014. To be fair, an exact year-to-year comparison is difficult, as this year's proposed budget includes about $630,000 more in capital projects, as well as about $240,000 in existing accounts that weren't listed under total expenditures in 2013's budget. But even without that approximately $1 million, we're looking at spending, in total, about $2 million more in 2013 than in 2014.
Clearly, there are areas that warrant a closer look.
We think that is what Boyce was trying to accomplish. But his proposed amendment didn't set well with everyone. Alderman Reid Stangel, the chairman of Finance and Taxation, called out Boyce at Tuesday's meeting for bringing his amendments to the table in the "12th hour."
Stangel's criticism is off base. Realistically, Boyce, who is not a member of the Finance and Taxation committee, had no earlier time to share his modifications with the full council.
Stangel also suggested Boyce should have attended committee meetings and shared his ideas there. Actually, it's the committee's job to drill deep and craft a tight budget document. It seems this committee is less involved in the budgeting process than ever before: After its initial meeting in August, it held just two meetings to discuss the budget proposal, the first of which had just two of four regular members present.
Typically, a budget will come from committee before a full board or council for a first reading or initial presentation. Then it is published, with a date set for a public hearing and then a vote on approval. This gives both elected officials and the public ample opportunity to review and ask questions.
But that's not how it works in Monroe, apparently. The committee approved the budget Oct. 28 and published it Nov. 4, but it wasn't included on the Nov. 5 agenda. Boyce did question why it wasn't included on the agenda - according to emails Boyce shared us, Rath said Mayor Bill Ross declined the request to add it to the Nov. 5 meeting. So Boyce brought his ideas to the next council meeting, on Nov. 19.
Some of his modifications make sense: not funding three vacant position in the streets department; maintaining wage increases granted in 2013 but not increasing them again in 2014; eliminating the director of public works position; and reducing capital borrowing costs by more than $480,000 by transferring revenues from TID 7 and the sale of the water department's Wasserhaus.
Others, such as cutting $85,000 by going with an outside vendor rather than using the county transfer station, may not be the direction we as a city want to go.
We're not suggesting carte blanche approval of Boyce's amendment - that would be as irresponsible as rubber-stamping a proposed budget. But we agree with Boyce's assessment that what he has outlined is a realistic approach that could retain existing staff levels, maintain current service levels and still fully fund capital budget requests.
Boyce's "last-minute" budget amendment prompted the council to postpone action on the budget until Tuesday, Nov. 26. Aldermen would serve us - the taxpayers - well to give his suggested modifications due consideration.
