CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADDRESS BUDGET SHORTFALL

Our city council is up for election this year.  As one member pointed out they do not have a lot to put in their Resume.  One of their main responsibilities 

CITY COUNCIL NEEDS ADDRESS BUDGET SHORTFALL

     Earlier this week is reported that  New Albany ended 2010 with a budget deficit of $1.7 million for the year but had reserves reaching nearly 7.4 million dollars.   The city council members have debated for months about how to balance the budget but the city’s general fund still ended the year in the red...


There have been several proposal on how to actually balance the budget.  Some of the plans seemed a little complicated and some members seemed confused.


...Most of the approximately $1.7 million deficit comes from the police and fire budgets, that the mayor says have been under funded for years.  City council members insist that those departments have been mismanaged and need to be brought in line with the budget but have so far not made it clear what should be cut...


For years I have attended city council meetings and Steve Price constantly rants about the use of the Police department's Patrol Car Take home policy as the cause of the budget shortfall.

...Third district councilman Steve Price claims that the police departments take home car policy is one cause of the problem.  He thinks that the citizens of New Albany should not be forced to pay for gas for police officers that do not live within the city limits.  Maybe there should be some reevaluation of the take home policy but restricting the use of take home cars will have only a minimal affect on the budget deficit...


He also refuses to support any new project that is brought before the council.


Councilman Price does not think it is proper to use “Rainy” day funds to cover the budget deficit.  He equates it to living on your savings account.  He has refused for years to use these funds for any projects that have been proposed, under the guise of fiscal responsibility.  Now we need that money for public safety, and he still refuses to use it.  What exactly is he waiting for?


I understand the importance of saving money for when it might be needed.  The only problem is you cannot just put that money under your mattress, you must eventually spend that money.

Fiscal responsibility in the time of crisis has  been a cornerstone of some of the members of this council.  They have refused to support projects that  could make this city better, because they did not think it was wise to use tax payers money irresponsibly.  Now they have the opportunity do the right thing and use some of the money they have been saving to properly fund the Police and Fire departments’ budgets.  That is the least they can do for the men and women who put their lives on the line every day for the sake of public safety.