About four weeks from presenting a spending plan for the budget year beginning July 1, Mayor Joe Ganim will submit a “Proposed Five-Year Capital Plan for Fiscal Years 2019-2023,” according to the agenda for Monday night’s City Council meeting. See agenda here. It will be referred to the Budget & Appropriations Committee.
Capital plans finance public improvements, equipment purchases and construction projects, the goodies that gain attention in election years.
City bean counters are piecing a budget for submission to the council. Ganim, a candidate for governor, cannot raise taxes. It he does it will undercut any chance to be a viable statewide candidate. Easier said than done given the state’s precarious budget situation and the flow of state dollars the city relies on.
The council will also vote on the bargaining unit contracts of AFSCME, Local 1303-468 and LIUNA, Local 1224.
WOW!!! No comment from city council members or John Marshall Lee, outside of employees salaries and benefits this where the money is that needs to be monitor.
Thanks. How can we access the plan on-line?
Every year the City administration puts forth a Capital Improvement Plan they have assembled from Department discussions/requests/needs and set forth for discussion, review and decision. Approval of a Plan, may trigger later action as to bonding, grant requests, etc. so that funding of part or all of the 2018-18 Capital plan happens.
Where do you go to see where each of the last five year plans sits today in terms of actions taken, funds received, funds spent, and ultimately projects completed on time and under budget (hopefully)? Where does the City annually or more frequently provide such a report? If not, why not? City Council, please let us know about this. Time will tell.
Just get each department’s yearly report to see what their capital request each year and compare them for each year.
Ron,
Are you becoming slow as you age, or just trying to show what you know….or not….as the case may be. Have you seen the varied formats of these reports over the past ten years. Were you to go to each City Department, how many would you approach, because there are any number who never seem to make a capital request? WOuld you only ask those who may have asked in the past two or three and miss one or two who have irregular requests?
Now that you have the annual report for 2013 that shows what was requested and what was approved, can you tell me from that what money has subsequently come into the City, when and how? Can you tell whether a Capital wish changed? Can you tell whether a plan ended up costing more? Or whether it sits incomplete with funds still on deposit?
You offer one sentence of comment to OIB readership, your privilege. But it will not provide you with the information that I suggest needs being chased down very regularly revealing transparency, accountability and openness to the taxpayer….routinely and timely. Why not have them deliver the info? They have the data. WE SUPPLY THE BUCKS. ONLY FAIR?? Time will tell.
JML, follow the money of the biggest request like vehicles for the fire, police and public works and other equipment for those departments.
Are any of these vendors making donations to the Democrats or to Joe Ganim’s election for mayor and governor under the names of the owners or partnership? Were these fair and open bidding for these contracts?
That’s one way to frame the question, but yet another might be to see what programs have had money come in and yet are not pursued. What happens to the funds? Reallocation? Do we ever hear about this? wHAT capital funds were used close to $1 Million from OPED to repay a Port Authority debt with never an explanation from the City? Or comments from the auditors? RON ? Any observations about these matters?> Time will tell.