HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0177.104 1998-2000 ' RECENED "
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Testimony of John Totten ~te_ ~Cpuniy Coungl~~.--Pff
Budget Hearing: March 18, 1999
I watched a portion of the Mayor's taped budget presentation on
TV last Wednesday evening. A council member asked the Mayor what are
we going to do next year when we need another $7,000,000? An
excellent question, I thought. The Mayor answered that next year we
hope the economy will be better. The economy of this island is not
going to be any better 12 months from now, given the current economic
planning. The Governor and County Mayors approved contracts agreeing
to very modest wage increases for State and County workers. In the
past, the County Council has funded these negotiated contracted pay
raises. Since the Mayor has refused to provide for the raises in the
current and previous budgets, fiscal shortfalls have been imminent.
Funding these raises now will mean a significant increase in overall
productivity based upon an increase in employee morale.
Additionally, the estimated $4,000,000 expenditure will be circulated
in the local economy several times over by the County employees and
their families.
The budget you have before you contains funding for nearly 100
vacant positions which the administration has no intention of filling
in the coming fiscal year. This is an estimated approximate
$3,000,000 that has been budgeted for existing and projected vacant
positions that will be spent on something else. Last year there was
over $2,000,000 budgeted for vacant positions which has already been
spent for something else. I suggest if the administration does not
intend fill these vacant positions in the 1999-2000 fiscal year, then
this Council has a responsibility not to provide funding for these
positions.
Finally, I would like to draw the Council's attention to page 44
of the 1999-2000 budget under the heading Finance Department. You
can see the estimated delinquent real property taxes for the current
year to be $12,000,000. This is a $1,000,000 increase from the
previous year. It should seem obvious from these numbers that there
is a serious problem with uncollected taxes. Amore aggressive
collection program would do much to reduce the amount of delinquent
taxes and provide adequate funding for a balanced budget.
Comm. ?30. ' ~ Q
File No. Q V D
Presented C.o ~ u u ~ P. M,
Ref. To:-
Ref. llatc 3- 18_99