With a new City Council seated, city fiscal watchdog John Marshall Lee encouraged the budget and legislative body to open up its committee meetings to public comment. Lee addressed the full council at its first meeting last Monday night. From Lee:
According to the Agenda for this evening, you will have an opportunity to vote on City Council Rules. If you wish to encourage more attention to City concerns, more knowledge on the part of voters about City problems of all kinds, and support for activity that will increase City strength in all departments, I respectfully suggest that you open your Council Sub-Committee meetings to brief public comment or discussion, but noted in your minutes. You may hear a question, or a practical suggestion, or an alternative approach that makes sense to you and respond appropriately. What is wrong with this? If people do not attend these Committee sessions, where the real work of your body is accomplished in recent years, then your meetings will have no greater length. If they do attend with contributions to your subject matter, isn’t that positive? Please consider this advance in OPEN behavior.
I have referenced TRANSPARENT governance many times. Please take a look at your Agenda for this meeting. It is formed this way purposefully. There are 16 communications and resolutions 01-15 to 15-15 and one petition 20-15 that face your consideration tonight. Not one of these items shows a number preceded by a dollar sign symbol. Why not? Where is the price tag, or price range information that will alert you on some level to the relative priority and importance of such item? Why is there a total absence of such information when it reaches your desk? To the extent that one has to look at backup paperwork that the public does not get to see, until a decision is made when it shows up in the minutes, can you justify such secrecy?
ACCOUNTABILITY for City property and funds is also critical. In that regard, you will see a new signature on the October Monthly Report from Ken Flatto, Finance Director. Impressive is the continued use of a shortened format to make your review duties easier.
Variances are reported for revenues as before, but now variances show for expense line items as well. That is positive. However, there has been no “Explanation of Variances” regarding Police and Fire Department overtime since May, 2015 when it was reported “The overage in the Police Department overtime accounts is attributable to large retirement of Police Officers this fiscal year. Please note that the salary savings from these retired officers will compensate the overtime overage by year end.” A similar explanation was entered regarding Fire Department overtime.
Silence on that subject through June (Draft report-FINAL REPORT due shortly with issuance of CAFR-2015 at calendar year end), July, August, and September, until the new Finance Director in the October variance comments: “Please note that the salary savings from these retired officers will partially compensate the overtime overage by year end.”
June 30, 2016 is the year end and right now the negative variances for both departments assuming all forecasts hold is that deficits of $4, 250,000 will have to be made up, but how will that be done? What questions will you ask? What research will be done for you on this and other questions? Will you look to support your Council with assistants who can get to the bottom of issues on a full-time basis?
HONEST is a word that is honored I hope by all. HONEST dialogue and reporting is the major condition that supports civic authority and respect. If partial honesty or dishonesty in some matters becomes the special of the day, we become lost as a community. As a watchdog of some duration municipally, I attempt to provide timely, complete and honest information for the public benefit.
You will receive a copy of these comments at your Council email address for review or reflection. Call me with your questions. Ask for a more extended conversation. Several former Council members are also available as questions arise to assist in your education and training. You have a difficult task to monitor. Public expectations are especially high this year. How will you do your critical part in meeting those expectations? Time will tell.
*** It’s like talking to the city hall walls when addressing some of these council members, especially the ones who have been there for a spell! They think they know it all however some are more of a burden than a help for their districts! And some members have gotten to the point where they depend on the stipend money to pay for personal items instead of political help for their districts or to help them do their jobs better! The measures for keeping tabs on council stipend spending, receipts, taxes, etc. is very lax to say the least. Not to mention other small perks and such, no? ***
So with the police overtime, the idea is to spend the money anyway from the retirement savings, not just spend less, because in government it is an axiom if you don’t spend it you won’t get the same amount next year. This is a fairly cynical site and you people are rubbing off on me.
Good work John, I would like to have a camera and record all the eyes that roll when you show up at the meeting. Nobody gave you a golden cape this time, you’re not anointed. They hate that shit in the fiefdom.