A majority of speakers at Thursday’s budget hearing urged the city council to make additional cuts to avoid a tax increase. But many also praised the council for the job it has done in a tough budget cycle.
The mayor and council presented a proposed fiscal 2009 general fund budget of $31.6 million. The budget is up $702,575 or 2.2 percent over the current budget. If approved, the budget would result in an estimated $1.43 increase in the property tax rate of $30.07.
kAm(:E9 9:89 @:= 4@DED ]]]k^Am
kAmp >2;@C:EJ @7 DA62<6CD 2E %9FCD52J’D 3F586E 962C:?8 FC865 E96 4:EJ 4@F?4:= E@ >2<6 255:E:@?2= 4FED E@ 2G@:5 2 E2I :?4C62D6] qFE >2?J 2=D@ AC2:D65 E96 4@F?4:= 7@C E96 ;@3 :E 92D 5@?6 :? 2 E@F89 3F586E 4J4=6]k^Am
kAm%96 >2J@C 2?5 4@F?4:= AC6D6?E65 2 AC@A@D65 7:D42= a__h 86?6C2= 7F?5 3F586E @7 Sb`]e >:==:@?] %96 3F586E :D FA Sf_a[dfd @C a]a A6C46?E @G6C E96 4FCC6?E 3F586E] x7 2AAC@G65[ E96 3F586E H@F=5 C6DF=E :? 2? 6DE:>2E65 S`]cb :?4C62D6 :? E96 AC@A6CEJ E2I C2E6 @7 Sb_]_f]k^Am
kAm(:E9 9:89 @:= 4@DED 5C:G:?8 FA C6?ED 2?5 2 =24< @7 ;@3D :? q6C=:?[ !C:D4:==2 s@F46EE6 D2:5 A6@A=6 2C6 =62G:?8 3642FD6 E96J 42?’E >2<6 :E :? E96 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 2C6 >@G:?8 @FE @7 96C6] %96J’C6 ?@E >@G:?8 :?[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAms@F46EE6[ H9@ D2:5 D96 925 ?6G6C 367@C6 DA@<6? @FE 2E 2 AF3=:4 962C:?8[ D2:5 96C 9FD32?5 5C:G6D 7:G6 9@FCD E@ H@C<]k^Am
kAm“p== @FC A@4<6ED 2C6 ;FDE 23@FE 6>AEJ[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmy@6 ':8F6 D2:5 96 E9@F89E E96 4@F?4:= 925 5@?6 2 “72:C=J 5646?E ;@3” :? 56G6=@A:?8 2 a__h 3F586E] w6 D2:5 E96 4:EJ ?665D E@ 2EEC24E ?6H :?5FDECJ 2?5 FC865 E96 4@F?4:= E@ E9:?< 92C5 367@C6 AFD9:?8 E@ 86E C:5 @7 E96 496>:42= C64@G6CJ 3@:=6C @? E96 7@C>6C AF=A >:== D:E6]k^Am
kAmqFD:?6DD>2? $4@EE r@F=@>36 D2:5 96 H2D D9@4<65 E@ D66 E96 4@F?4:= @AA@D6 {2:5=2H t?6C8J’D AC@A@D2= E@ 4@?G6CE E96 3@:=6C :?E@ 2 3:@>2DD A=2?E] r@F=@>36 D2:5 E96 3:@>2DD A=2?E H@F=5 A2J >:==:@?D @7 5@==2CD :? E2I C6G6?F6 E@ E96 4:EJ] w6 D2:5 4FEE:?8 E96 E2I C2E6 H@F=5 >2<6 :E 62D:6C E@ 2EEC24E 3FD:?6DD6D 96C6]k^Am
kAmr@F=@>36 ?@E65 E96 4:EJ :D ?@E FD:?8 E96 p?5C@D4@88:? H2E6C EC62E>6?E A=2?E 2?5 DF886DE65 E96 4:EJ D6== E96 6BF:A>6?E E96C6] w6 D2:5 q6C=:? D9@F=5 FD6 E96 3F:=5:?8 2D :?4F32E@C DA246 7@C ?6H 3FD:?6DD6D]k^Am
kAmw6 2=D@ 42==65 7@C 4@>3:?:?8 E96 H2E6C 2?5 AF3=:4 H@C<D 56A2CE>6?ED E@ 4FE 4@DED]k^Am
kAm“s@ 6G6CJE9:?8 9F>2?=J A@DD:3=6 – E9:?< @FED:56 E96 3@I – 2?5 4FE @FC E2I6D[” 96 4@?4=F565]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C =@42= 3FD:?6DD>2?[ |2FC:46 !6=492E[ D2:5 q6C=:? 92D E@ 5@ E9:?8D 5:776C6?E=J E@ DFCG:G6 F?E:= :E 42? EFC? :ED 64@?@>J 2C@F?5] w6 42==65 @? v@C92> 2?5 q6C=:? @77:4:2=D E@ =@@< 2E H2JD E@ H@C< E@86E96C E@ AC@G:56 D6CG:46D[ :?4=F5:?8 =@@<:?8 2E 2 4@@A6C2E:G6 D49@@= 5:DEC:4E]k^Am
kAm!6=492E BF6DE:@?65 H9J E96 7:C6 56A2CE>6?E C6DA@?D6D H:E9 2 7:C6 ECF4< 6G6CJ E:>6 E96 swp#% 96=:4@AE6C 2CC:G6D 2E p?5C@D4@88:? '2==6J w@DA:E2=] w6 2D<65 9@H >2?J C68:DE6C65 G69:4=6D E96 A@=:46 56A2CE>6?E 92D 2?5 D2:5 A@=:46 @77:46CD D9@F=5 8@ 9@>6 :? E96:C @H? G69:4=6D]k^Am
kAmp?@E96C DA62<6C BF6DE:@?65 E96 Sha[___ D2=2CJ @7 E96 A@=:46 49:67 2?5 2D<65 H9J E96 56A2CE>6?E ?665D p%'D 2?5 D?@H>@3:=6D] $E:== 2?@E96C DF886DE65 AFC492D:?8 2 9J3C:5 G69:4=6 7@C A@=:46 E@ FD6 7@C EC2G6=]k^Am
kAm$FD2? $>2== 2D<65 E96 4@F?4:= E@ 7=2E\=:?6 @C C65F46 E96 3F586E] $96 D2:5 :7 E2I6D 4@?E:?F6 E@ :?4C62D6[ E96 4:EJ H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ =@D6 A@AF=2E:@?]k^Am
kAmu@C>6C 4:EJ 4@F?4:=@C w2C@=5 q:86=@H 4@>>6?565 E96 4@F?4:= 7@C :ED 677@CED E@ <66A E2I6D 5@H?] w6 D2:5 E96C6 2C6 2 =@E @7 D6?:@C 4:E:K6?D @? 7:I65 :?4@>6D DECF88=:?8 E@ DFCG:G6 H:E9 E96 9:896C 7F6=[ 82D[ 2?5 7@@5 4@DED] w6 D2:5 E96 4@F?4:= ?665D E@ 4FE E96 3F586E 7FCE96C]k^Am
kAmq:86=@H D2:5 :E :D E:>6 E@ =@@< 2E E96 D:K6 @7 4:EJ 8@G6C?>6?E 4@>A2C65 E@ E96 D:K6 @7 q6C=:?]k^Am
kAm#64@8?:K:?8 E92E 96 H2D :? E96 >:?@C:EJ[ {2CCJ {27=2>>6 D2:5 96 E9@F89E E96 4@F?4:= 925 4@>6 FA H:E9 2? 2AAC@AC:2E6 3F586E E92E H@F=5 >2:?E2:? 4:EJ D6CG:46D]k^Am
kAm“*@F 92G6 5@?6 2 92C5[ 5:77:4F=E[ 2?5 8@@5 ;@3[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm{27=2>>6[ H9@ D2:5 96 5C:G6D E@ }@CE9 r@?H2J E@ H@C<[ D2:5 q6C=:? ?665D E@ >2:?E2:? :ED :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 D49@@= DJDE6> :7 :E H2?ED E@ 2EEC24E A6@A=6]k^Am
kAm“x7 H6 H2?E E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5[ H6 92G6 E@ >2:?E2:? H92E H6 92G6[” {27=2>>6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 9:D 49:=5C6? 2C6 @FE @7 E96 AF3=:4 D49@@= DJDE6>[ 96 D2:5 E96J C646:G65 2? 6I46==6?E 65F42E:@? 96C6] w6 D2:5 E96 D49@@= DJDE6> :D E96 >@DE :>A@CE2?E :?G6DE>6?E E96 4:EJ 42? >2<6]k^Am
kAmp =2C86 8C@FA @7 q6C=:? w:89 DEF56?ED H6C6 :? 2EE6?52?46 2?5 D6G6C2= 255C6DD65 E96 4@F?4:=] ~?6 E66? FC865 E96 4@F?4:= ?@E E@ 4FE E96 D49@@= 3F586E] %62496C %@> |@@?6J 4@>A2C65 4FEE:?8 E96 D49@@= 3F586E E@ 4FEE:?8 E96 4:EJ’D 7FEFC6]k^Am
kAmq6CEC2?5 E92?<65 E96 4C@H5 2?5 D2:5 96 2AAC64:2E65 E96 7665324< @? E96 3F586E] w6 A@:?E65 @FE E92E H:E9 2 ?6H >2J@C 2?5 D:I ?6H 4@F?4:=@CD[ E96 4@F?4:= 92D 2 ?6H >:?5D6E]k^Am
kAmq6CEC2?5 28C665 H:E9 E96 ?665 E@ :?4C62D6 E96 4:EJ’D E2I 32D6 2?5 D2:5 E96 4@F?4:= :D =@@<:?8 2E E92E :DDF6] w6 D2:5 D@>6 C6D:56?ED 925 C2:D65 E96 :DDF6 @7 H96E96C q6C=:? D9@F=5 36 2 4:EJ @C 2 E@H?] w6 D2:5 E96 5:776C6?46 :D E96 7@C> @7 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 D2:5 E96C6 2C6 AC@D 2?5 4@?D E@ 3@E9 7@C>D] w6 D2:5 uC2?<=:?[ H9:49 :D D>2==6C :? A@AF=2E:@? E92? q6C=:?[ 7F?4E:@?D G6CJ 67764E:G6=J 2D 2 4:EJ]k^Am
kAm~?46 E96 7656C2= AC:D@? @A6?D[ q6CEC2?5 D2:5 96 6IA64ED E@ D66 ?6H A6@A=6 >@G6 :?E@ q6C=:?] w6 D2:5 E96C6 2C6 :?46?E:G6D :? A=246 ?@H E@ 96=A 2EEC24E 3FD:?6DD6D :?4=F5:?8 E96 ?6H r@@D E2I 4C65:E]k^Am
kAmq6CEC2?5 D2:5 96 ;FDE DA6?E E9C66 52JD 2EE6?5:?8 E96 r@@D r@F?EJ DJ>A@D:F> 2?5 E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 65F42E:@? 2D 2 5C:G6C @7 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E H2D DEC6DD65 E96C6]k^Am
kAm“t5F42E:@? :D <6J E@ 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm~?46 E96 4@F?4:= 92D 4@>A=6E65 E96 3F586E[ q6CEC2?5 D2:5 E96C6 H:== 36 E:>6 E@ =@@< 2E C68:@?2=:K2E:@?]k^Am
kAmr@F?4:=@C %9@>2D |4rF6 FC865 C6D:56?ED E@ 4@?E24E 9:> H:E9 7665324<] $A64:7:42==J[ 96 2D<65 C6D:56?ED E@ 255C6DD H92E 4:EJ D6CG:46 E96J H@F=5 36 H:==:?8 E@ 5@ H:E9@FE 2?5 H9:49 4:EJ 6>A=@J66 H@F=5 E96J 36 H:==:?8 E@ 7:C6 E@ 4FE E96 3F586E]k^Am
kAmr@F?4:=@C #@? v@F5C62F D2:5 E96 3F586E AC@46DD 92D 366? BF:E6 2 =62C?:?8 6IA6C:6?46 7@C E96 ?6H 4@F?4:=] w6 D2:5 E96 3@5J >256 8C62E DEC:56D :? 4FEE:?8 E96 3F586E AC6D6?E65 E@ E96 4@F?4:= :? |2C49] w6 D2:5[ 9@H6G6C[ 96 :D ?@E D2E:D7:65 H:E9 E96 AC@A@D65 3F586E 2?5 H2?ED E@ D66 :E C65F465 7FCE96C]k^Am
kAm%96 3F586E :D @? E@?:89E’D 4@F?4:= H@C< D6DD:@? 286?52] %96 4@F?4:= :D D4965F=65 E@ 7:?2=:K6 E96 a__h 3F586E 2E :ED yF?6 `e >66E:?8]k^Am

(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.