The Franklin Common Council holds a public hearing tonight and then takes action on the city budget. As the budget process starts to wind down, I have some thoughts.
1) Congratulations to Mayor Tom Taylor for signing a pledge to keep the city property tax levy increase to a maximum of 3%. He took the pledge and then kept it.
2) At a well-documented meeting months ago, Franklin blogger Fred Keller, Franklin resident Scott Thinnes and I asked Franklin aldermen Steve Olson and Lyle Sohns to take the same pledge as Mayor Taylor. They declined. Sohns condescendingly (and I would say angrily) told me over and over that there was “no way” Franklin could keep the budget to a 3% increase. Gee, I guess he was wrong.
3) Olson and Sohns did say months ago they would work to budget responsibly and have made attempts as of late to cut the budget even more.
4) Franklin Common Council President Steve Taylor reminded us today on Janet Evans’ blog that he campaigned “to control city spending.” That’s good. That’s very good. But then for the rest of his message, he criticizes colleagues Olson and Sohns for their efforts to……..control city spending! Ironic, to say the least. Olson and Sohns should be commended, not blasted. The more that want to "control city spending," the better.
5) Alderman Taylor (remember, he ran on controlling city spending) is requesting that “$15,000 be put into the Capital Improvement Fund in order to have a study done on a tornado warning siren system.” Sorry, but that’s not a good idea. We don’t have to spend a penny on any study. How’s that for controlling city spending. If the budget gets approved with the study, here’s hoping Mayor Taylor vetoes it out.
6) I could be wrong but my alderman, Kristin Wilhelm didn’t offer any ideas on how to trim the budget or control city spending. I know she was apoplectic at the thought she might lose her city taxpayer-funded monthly stipend. But, and again, I could be wrong, I didn’t hear her suggest any budget cost-saving measures. If I’m mistaken, I’m sure Kristin will call me.
7) My prediction: The city budget gets adopted tonight on a vote of 4-2. All in all, for once, this has been an exercise where the taxpayer wins with a budget that truly holds the line on spending. Could the budget have been chopped some more? Probably. But we’re on the right track, and we’ll survive. Franklin won’t be “destroyed.”
That 3% pledge, initiated by Fred Keller, served as the stimulus for campaign discussion, and then action that resulted in some tough decisions, but overall, a victory for Franklin taxpayers who’ve paid enough for a long, long time.
UPDATE on 11/4/08
