12/01/11
Shorewood Council discussed the 2012 and beyond budgets at its 11/28/11 work session. See:
http://windowsmedia.alphameetings.com/LMCCShorewood/112811shorewood.wmv
and the 2 hour 57 minute point for the beginning of the recording of this discussion.
The 2012 general fund budget spending was slightly reduced by staff and the 2012 tax levy was recommended to be left at the 2011 level. The Insider views both of these as good news. The Council will present the budget to the public at the Truth-In-Taxation meeting at City Hall on Monday, December 5, 7:00 PM, at which time the public will have a chance to comment. Following this, Council must send a final budget to the county by 12/15. So, a vote on the final budget would happen during the Council's 12/12 meeting.
The more enlightening discussion surrounded the capital budget. The Insider notes that, again, staff did not present any detail justifying the items listed in the capital budget and nobody on the council except Woodruff even questioned this. In response to Woodruff's continued comments about this, Mayor Lizee resorted to her old mantra of wanting to avoid "micro managing" staff. The Insider puts it to you, the reader and taxpayer: Don't you want your council members to know why and approve the City plans to spend tens and hundreds of thousands of your tax dollars? Apparently the majority of Council sees no problem with this.
Staff showed the recently adopted Trail Plan being fully funded in the capital plan. Two things jump out at the Insider. First, the funding is from the infrastructure fund (yes, this includes the "liquor store" money) and over ten years consumes all of the $1.7 million in this fund. Second, the cost of trails has gone through the roof.
The approved Trail Plan has cost estimates for the trail segments calculated at something like $15 per foot. Now, the capital plan is showing something like $60 per foot. The Insider recalls that the short segment from the Cty19 LRT trail to the sidewalk in front of the Hazelwood shopping center (something like 500 feet) was being discussed more than one year ago (pre-Trail Plan) as a $6000 item. Now, it's ballooned to $72,000! Mayor Lizee seems un-phased by this astounding cost. This short segment is planned for 2012 and staff has applied for a grant to cover a large part of the cost. So, maybe the segment will get built. But, would you spend $72,000 for 500 feet of trail if it was your own money (which it really turns out to be). The Insider sarcastically wonders if the City could instead offer taxi service to everyone wanting to travel this 500 feet and spend less money than building the trail. There are an infinite number of ways to spend money, but a very small number of smart ways. You decide if this is one of the many or the few.
Happy Reading!
The Insider
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