Robert Burr’s Comments on the 2009-2010 Budget Options: Call to Action

July 28, 2009 1 Comment

I copy Robert Burr’s email to the community about Coral Gables’ budget challenges:

Once in a while, we need to pay attention to what’s happening in city government. This is a time to share your opinions with city leaders in Coral Gables. After years of spending increases, home values rising at astronomical rates, millage rate increases, salaries, benefits and pension increases that clearly are not sustainable — and a luxury lifestyle of fine wine and dining for city officials — it’s time for a reality check in Coral Gables.

Our new city manager has a daunting task. Rein in all the waste and excess while retaining the most important services to citizens. Now, our leaders need our help in making important decisions. They’re proposing new fees on us now to increase their budgets once again. Apparently, they’re not getting the message to cut budget expenses further. It’s time to communicate with them — now.

Recently, citizens felt the need to set limits on their leaders. You voted for term limits for the mayor and commissioners. You voted to elect the mayor every two years, as we’ve done since the city was founded. You voted against allowing the city manager to spend up to $100,000 without commission approval. You voted to keep the city trail board in place to oversee important management decisions.

Now, it’s time to give our city leaders some limits on how our money will be spent. Like any well-run business, we must aspire to keep our cost under control and set limits on how we spend the funds mandated to be assessed from citizens. We want the system to be fair, transparent, efficient and operated within sound parameters.

Your Coral Gables Citizen’s PAC has recently urged commissioners and the city manager to use common sense in reducing expenses in all city departments. While the city has proposed to cut some of the lowest paying jobs, the PAC is recommending reduction in salaries at higher levels.

“The cutting of part time employees is sometimes the least economical since they are paid the least and may not be getting benefits. We should be looking at the top. We have over 80 City employees making over $100,000. We know there is slack in the higher echelons and they can be reduced. The greatest savings would be at that level. We strongly urge the 5% cut across the board for all employees who are making more than $35,000; 10% across the board cut for all employees making more than $80,000 and less than $130,000; and 15% cut across the board for all employees making more than $130,000 (or some other graduated scale but topping out at least at 15%). In addition, we need to look where we can cut personnel at the higher levels so that each cut will make a large savings. When hiring replacements, if necessary, they should come in at the lowest possible level.”

Next, citizens must consider whether to put a cap on the overall percentage of the city budget that can be allocated to salaries, benefits and pensions. Most large companies limit these expenses to 50% of their budget.

Our city salaries, benefits and pensions are nearing 80% of the budget, which is far out of control. Citizens can initiate a ballot measure in the next election cycle limiting these expenses to 50, 55 or 60% of the total budget, allowing management and commissioners to decide how best to spend the funds within that limit.

It’s up to our management and leaders now to make significant progress on these out of control expenses. Let’s urge them to get their costs under control now.

If they can’t do it, the citizens will once again set these necessary limits which their leaders are unable or unwilling to do.

Whether you agree with me or not, please share your opinions with city leaders today.

Thank you.

Robert A. Burr
rob@robertburr.com
http://www.RobertBurr.com

Filed under Community, Coral Gables, Government

Didn’t Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen Vote Against This?

May 14, 2009 Leave a comment

As published on the City of Coral Gables website. I thought that all of the Republicans, including Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehtinen, voted against the Obama Administration economic recovery package!

City of Coral Gables to Receive $642,500 in Federal Funds

Two major improvement projects in the City of Coral Gables will be funded this year, thanks to federal government dollars recently approved by Congress and the President.

“This is great news for the Coral Gables community,” says Mayor Don Slesnick, who recently returned from the National League of Cities’ annual Congressional Conference. “This local government welcomes funding support from the state or federal level to fulfill the needs and priorities of our infrastructure and maintenance of our quality of life. These federal funds will definitely help us achieve that.” Coral Gables, which is part of Florida’s 18th Congressional District represented by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, will receive $500,000 for wastewater infrastructure improvements and $142,500 for the construction of pedestrian bridges.

“It is a true blessing whenever we can get federal dollars to South Florida because the reality is that without federal assistance, projects can be delayed or scrapped all together,” says Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. “The City of Coral Gables is a great example of the many good things achieved when local and federal officials come together and cooperate for the greater good of the community they represent. I look forward to continue working with local officials so that we may get a bigger share of the federal pie.”

The $500,000 federal funding will be used to make the mandatory improvements to the City’s sewer infrastructure. The repairs involve the replacement of several miles of large diameter force main with additional repairs to the City’s pumping stations. The improvements to the wastewater infrastructure are necessary for the preservation of the City’s public health and aesthetic beauty.

The $142,500 federal funding will be used to build pedestrian bridges next to the Hardee, Granada and Maynada bridges where vehicular traffic has created safety concerns for crossing pedestrians and cyclists. These new bridges will allow for more efficient and safer traffic flow throughout the City. Improved pedestrian safety along busy roadways in the City of Coral Gables will also benefit from this project.

In effect, she voted against the bill, but took credit for it in Coral Gables. Another question–Why would the Government of Coral Gables participate in these political cosmetics?

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen told the state’s mayors visiting DC last week that “just because you vote no, doesn’t mean you don’t get the money. We will fight like tigers for us to get our share.”

Democrats called the statement “hypocrisy at its worst.

“If Rep. Ros-Lehtinen meant what she said, she would have voted for economic recovery,” said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Jessica Santillo. “Instead she voted against cutting taxes, investing in local business and strengthening Florida infrastructure and somehow thinks she can still take credit for the projects back home.”

Filed under Coral Gables, Florida

City of Coral Gables Budget Shortfall

May 13, 2009 Leave a comment

The City of Coral Gables newsletter distributed today include the following:

The City of Coral Gables, like other local governments throughout Florida and the nation, is facing a decline in revenues due to the downturn in the economy. The latest financial information reveals approximately a $9 million general fund budget shortfall for the fiscal year that ends September 30, 2009. This shortfall is due to a number of factors, beginning with a decline in revenues totaling nearly $5 million. Added to this number is approximately a $2.5 million increase in expenditures as a result primarily of collective bargaining agreements with the general employees’ and firefighters’ unions and other operating costs. Also adding to the shortfall is approximately a $1.5 million appropriation from last fiscal year’s reserves to balance the budget. In addition, the City is projecting a similar shortfall as it enters the budget preparation process for next fiscal year which begins October 1, 2009 and that would need to be addressed prior to adopting a balanced budget. In a letter sent to all City employees on April 28th, City Manager Patrick Salerno announced a citywide freeze on hiring, capital and discretionary spending as initial steps taken to address the situation. Furthermore, 16 part-time temporary positions were recently eliminated. The City Manager has expressed his desire to minimize the number of positions that need to be reduced further from the City’s workforce. City administrators are analyzing other cost cutting measures and revenue enhancement strategies to address the current financial challenge. For additional information, contact the City of Coral Gables Office of Public Affairs at 305-460-5205.

Some interesting questions are 1) why the decline in revenues was not anticipated months ago by City authorities, as it was by the Obama Administration, Governor Crist or the Miami-Dade County Government; 2) why did the City negotiate employee salary increases when they couldn’t be paid for by the City under the most optimistic projections; and 3) who neglected budget control and supervision during the last few months and why didn’t the City Commission know that?
Why would the City Manager’s main objective be to avoid reducing employees? Is he expecting that the problems be quite short lived and the large numbers of staff will be needed during the next boom phase of the City?

Filed under Coral Gables

Coral Gables Transparency: Lessons from Washington

May 12, 2009 Leave a comment

The openness community is criticizing the Obama Administration for not using outside participation and involvement in the formulation of its promised openness policy.

“It seems pretty absurd that they’re supposed to be working on recommendations for transparency, participation and collaboration, yet they’re not using any of those three things as tools,” said Gary Bass of OMB Watch, a nonprofit group that advocates more open government. “There’s something wrong about talking about public access — without the public.” (Politico.com)

The City of Coral Gables can learn from this experience by promoting greater openness, citizen participation and involvement to get more input on the bigger issues. It is not enough to have open Commission meeting. Rather community forums on big issues should be organized to increase community participation and interest.

Filed under Coral Gables, Florida

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