MIN CHC 1989-04-26 - Laserfiche WebLink

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BETHEA: Yep. I guess part of my point is , when I look at these provisions , and I just leave it open as to whether or not it should be changed, it looks like that the admin- istration proposes a budget which has got to act together within 10 days after the legislative session, which means I assume that they have to take into accounts their. . .the results of their search for grants-in-aid and. . . so they have to work in. . .along very rapidly in order to get the document together. In describing the document , it says , "which sums need not be itemized further than by agencies and programs , " which implies a general sort of a presentation to the County Council as a policymaker . And then when you look at the short time fuse that the County has to consider it . . .the Council rather, because it says , "The Council shall adopt the operating budget on or before the thirtieth day of June. " Otherwise the budget proposed by the mayor is adopted. So it looks like as if this particular Charter contemplates a pretty speedy process . That there isn' t a lot of time for the Council to get into all of the. . .all of the details of it . If I may, and subject to interruptions by any commission member at any time, let me go on and ask this . . . some very particular questions if I may about the language. For example, at the top of page 18 , just before the beginning after subsection (c) in (4) there, and they are talking about the operating program, "Such other informa- tion as the council or mayor may request. " Is it your experience that there are specific requests made for individual items and a further breakdown of the budget? MIZUNO: Very definitely. We go into a., . . I ' ll give you a for instance, computer equipment. Or , yeah, we' ll use that as an example. They will want to know. . .we will be required to provide, you know, one terminal , one computer screen, one printer , one what-you-may-call-it and so on and so forth, which totals the number that ' s in the budget. BETHEA: Who requires that? MIZUNO: Council . BETHEA: So, are we as a matter of fact , if I 'm correct about the way this Charter looks at it , have we gotten away from this system because the Council is now getting involved in the details of the budget? MIZUNO: Yes . L 'ORANGE: Mr. Chairman, I ' d like to just make a comment that the process that is going on right now makes it 262