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| Cal City Says We Have to Pass It So They Can Read It http://northwestindiana.com/discussionforum/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=8586 |
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| Author: | Mirage [ Sat Mar 27, 2010 3:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Cal City Says We Have to Pass It So They Can Read It |
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/illi ... c536c.html Council: Mayor crossed a line Calumet City officials vote to stop budget proposal posting CALUMET CITY | Mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush said Thursday she merely tried to give her City Council colleagues a jolt toward preparing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year that is likely to see severe cuts in municipal spending. But the council saw the mayor's actions as overstepping her legal boundaries, and they approved a measure forcing the mayor to back away from plans to make a copy of her proposed budget available for public inspection. Specifically, the council voted 7-0 on the measure that opposed Qualkinbush's intent to make her proposal available through the city clerk's office. Fourth Ward Alderman Brian Wilson, who also chairs the finance committee that will spend significant time in coming months putting together the municipal budget for the fiscal year beginning May 1, said it would not be right to him to have to answer questions from the public about details of the mayor's proposal when he himself has not yet seen that proposal. At stake was Qualkinbush's intent to make what she called her "recommendations" for the budget, including what specific items should be cut, available for public inspection through the clerk's office. At the beginning of Thursday's council meeting, she announced that people could see her budget proposal during the normal business hours for the clerk's office. That led to the outcry from aldermen, who said they think she should first present her recommendations to the council. "Instead of posting this, it should be sent to the Finance Committee," 3rd Ward Alderman Thaddeus Jones said. "We need to come up with a clear analysis of our finances." Sixth Ward Alderman Nick Manousopolous agreed. He said the fact that the budget will likely undergo many changes between now and its final form on July 31 will make any public posting pointless right now. "You're posting a budget that probably won't take place," Manousopoulos said. For her part, Qualkinbush admitted the budget will undergo significant changes, in large part because of the uncertainty of funding from state government. The only certainty is that the state will significantly cut funding, but Qualkinbush said she can't offer a true figure as to how much less money Calumet City will receive. "I'm trying to get us to move along" by preparing a budget, Qualkinbush said. "We do have a lot of work to do. There are a lot of cuts that will have to be made, particularly in personnel." Complicating the city's financial picture are tax revenues for this year, which are less than anticipated when the last budget was put together. City Treasurer Gerald Tarka said as of Feb. 28, the city faced a $2.7 million deficit with two months remaining in this fiscal year. Qualkinbush said she was not surprised her colleagues are frustrated at the budget uncertainty. "I agree with that frustration; I can't get solid numbers myself," she said. Frankly I say it should be posted for all to see 2 weeks before submitting it to committee. The people have a right to weigh in before it's a done deal. |
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