Wrangling and Scrambling

Let me say first and foremost that my position as a candidate for city council affords me the unique opportunity to be a Monday morning quarterback and as some would say a bobble head pundit. When elected to city council, I will be on the other side of the equation with all the darts pointed in my direction.

Yesterday's Record Delta reported the city was wrangling with the budget, scrambling to find areas to reduce expenses and balance the budget. I don't envy the current council as difficult decisions must be made. One area in question and of concern to all city employees is the matter of salary raises. The mayor has said there is not enough money and a mandated 6% increase in Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) payments will be about all the city can handle in this budget year. That sounds like sound fiscal management.

One council member said city employee raises should go through because we have to take care of our people. Again, remember I'm on the outside looking in, but that sounds too political to me. I would wager there is not a single council member that does not want the very best for the city employees. I personally know many city employees and all in all, the employees and the various departments are very good and I have nothing but good things to say about them. But to come out in favor of salary raises when there is no funding is not responsible leadership. Making a difficult decision in the short term can have longer lasting benefits for city employees in the long term.

Another council member suggested consulting other municipalities to inquire how they are dealing with the 6% increase in PERS contributions. I concur that seeking outside information might be helpful, However, I would not slow the budget reconciliation process while waiting for outside information. All municipalities are working toward the March 26th budget deadline and receiving timely information from outside sources might be at a premium.

Lastly, a council member said "I can't believe we're just taking this and not fighting it." I find that this statement has been used too frequently over the last several years by our city leadership and to the detriment of the tax payers. There was a law suit between the city and the paid firefighters that resulted in the firefighters receiving a $25,000 settlement with $19,000 going toward the firefighters legal fees and the balance split among 4 firefighters. The city's legal fees for three attorneys from Steptoe & Johnson, approached $100,000 which is currently the subject of yet another legal action with the city's insurance company. This matter could have been resolved for less than $6,000. Remember, I'm the Monday morning quarterback. Take a look at the current CVB situation in which the city is linked, where legal fees spent by the CVB as of December 2009 were reported (last months CVB board meeting) near $85,000. This is a sad waste of tax money that could have been better used to promote our city and region. Do we really want to fight the State of West Virginia?