Here’s your chance to applaud or denounce Mayor Bill Finch’s budget proposal for the spending year beginning July 1. The City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee will conduct a public hearing Wednesday, 6 p.m. in the council chambers, 45 Lyon Terrace. Public comment will be allowed on the general fund and Board of Education budgets.
In the old days this was the night the Board of Ed galvanized supporters to bellow for more loot. The BOE has been quiet the past few years living with flatline budgets, but this year claims it needs more dough to avoid school closures, etc. The mayor has submitted an election-year budget that calls for no tax increase. The council’s budget committee has been reviewing the various department budgets. This is the one night in the legislative budget process the public is allowed to comment. The full council will vote on the budget in May. The spending package then goes back to the mayor for possible veto action before the council sets a mil rate.
A valid question. Does public input ever change that which has been decided?
Answer: No. The public has already decided you’re a clown.
Yes, public input can change things quite a lot during an election year. The public just has to know it has the power. Our budget in Monroe is cut every year due to public outcry and the fact we vote on the budget by referendum. However in the past two years our education was cut first by $2.7 million and this year the budget increase was 0% to the BOE. We lost a school, over 30 teachers, 20 staff and our classes are in some places more overcrowded than Bridgeport. This year the public went silent out of fear. The Education groups and BOE said, “Pass the budget or it may get cut some more.” Due to MBR (min. budget requirement, state says you can’t cut your ED budget below what it was previous year or you will lose state money 2 to 1) that wasn’t going to happen. If they had been smart they could have held the budget hostage and not passed it until more money was added into education, but again fear won the day. So they bent over and said, “please sir may I have some more,” and now it looks like they will get it for at least the next two years. My favorite quote from Thomas Jefferson, “When the government fears the people we get democracy, when the people fear the government we get tyranny.” Sound familiar? So charlie, public input can change, but the public has to show up and speak up. This goes for the election, too; first you have to get out the vote and then people have to know their vote is secret and theirs alone. If people don’t like the budget, don’t like the administration they must speak loud and clear, write letters to the editor, show up at meetings, make phone calls, write e-mails, call the media, and issue press releases. Grass roots can be a very powerful tool. The person who does this the best will be the next Mayor. After everything I have seen during my years going to school, working in and for the City of Bridgeport, my choice is Mary-Jane Foster. Trust and a person’s word is their only currency. In that sense Mary-Jane Foster is a rich woman and Bill Finch a pauper.
The Monroe delegation casts one vote for Foster.
Next delegation is Newtown, former home of the state’s mental hospital. What say ye Newtown?
Lennie,
You indicate comment on the general fund and BOE budgets are in order. Does that mean Capital Funds projects are not to be commented upon? Or what is off limits? Anything? If the Capital Budget is off limits at this moment, it means Tom Sherwood was not able to get requested information to the Budget and Appropriations Committee before their Saturday meeting in time to vote on it intelligently. It would seem reasonable to me the public ought to see that Capital budget fully before the Council votes on it. After all, it is the public who will pay the taxes that pay the bond principal and interest, for the following 30 years, perhaps many years after the items purchased have passed into memories. (Were you aware that New Jersey’s football field had debt outstanding when they committed to the replacement stadium? Go figure! The commitment endures, even when the construction becomes pasture.)
It is a reasonable expectation to ask questions when the Budget and Appropriations group does not review the Mayor’s budget nor do they look at their own legislative budget. Is that a curiosity or does it mean both the mayor and council have decided every dollar budgeted in these two areas is absolutely necessary to provide effective and efficient governance, and therefore not necessary for review?
Some questions are necessary no doubt and they will deal with the specifics of items that have been poorly addressed in this budget as well as observations that can be implemented next year and into the future with no added outlays but better understanding by Council members and the public at large.
Budget review is a purposeful activity. But the fewer questions there are can lead to conclusions other than the financial plan was done so well and was so well communicated there are no questions or questionable areas! Budget Overview Bridgeport – 2011 (BOB) has been attending the hearings and listening. All City Council members get to vote on the budget. How many of them beyond sub-committee members on B&A have been there regularly, do you guess?
Beacon, I would expect anything pertaining to the budget, be it city-side, BOE, capital expenditures, is in play.
Lennie,
Thanks for clarifying the issue as to what questions may be aired at Wednesday’s Public Hearing. I wonder where CitiStat fits in. Is it part of the Mayor’s budget or a separate department? Perhaps I just missed their presentation. I’ll bet Carolanne can post an answer to this question.
Beacon, look under the General Government Section under the CAO. CitiStat is included in the CAO’s budget.
BEACON2 // Apr 25, 2011 at 5:01 pm
To your posting
B2,
Look under Andy Nunn department. I think there you will find CitiStat.
*** Done deal, and a waste of time for taxpayers, no? Assumed, projected smoke & mirrors *** VOTE CHANGE ***