UPDATE: The full City Council Monday night approved budget committee adjustments.
The City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee on Saturday redirected $1.4 million to city schools that Mayor Joe Ganim proposed for a slight tax cut. Another $434,000 for school resource officers will be picked up by the Police Department budget.
Based on the committee’s work the full City Council is expected to vote on the budget Monday night. See council agenda and public call-in number to listen here.
What happens at the committee level is generally what flies with the full council.
The budget will then return to the mayor for a two-week period for possible veto action.
Ganim’s proposed spending plan slotted $2 million more for schools. Under the budget committee’s changes city schools will have roughly $1.2 extra to work with unless Ganim vetoes it. The council would need 14 votes for an override.
The budget year starting July 1 will be the fourth consecutive year without a tax increase.
Let’s take a look at the past to see how the Mayor Ganim and the City got to this point, below is from OIB from
February 21, 2020.
Education Advocacy Group Presses Ganim For More School Funding
February 21, 2020
FaithActs for Education founder Pastor William McCullough on Thursday delivered a letter to Mayor Joe Ganim reminding him of “promises he made at FaithActs’ Nov. 18 public meeting” that includes $2 million per year increase to local school funding. Ganim will issue his proposed budget to the City Council the first week of April.
During his 2019 reelection campaign Ganim promised more funding for schools. The question is, how much? $2 million a year is not a major stretch considering the built-in increases the school district faces each year including bargaining-unit raises.
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