New Albany told to slash 2009 budget, by Chris Morris (News and Tribune).
An order sent from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance has left city officials scratching their heads.
State auditors have ordered $4.8 million be cut from the 2009 budget this year, according to Deputy Mayor Carl Malysz.
Monday, September 28, 2009
4.8 million more reasons to never vote Republican, ever.
Yes, admittedly the patio budget went a bit over the estimate, and since we'd been given a blank check and all, maybe writing it for $4.8 million was extreme. After all, that million clams from the Garner administration never came to roost and ... well, discussion, anyone?
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I was wondering when the local nim-nods would realize the recession has crushed gov't budgets.
Not sure who you are refering to, but this problem has been foreshadowed scores of times in local media over the summer.
But we dont need to do anything to raise any more money...
Of course those who scream that will be the first to scream if any services get cut....
Will local media be running a piece today that refers to past foreshadowing? If you've published "warnings" about the looming budget cuts at the state level, can you now go put those articles in front of some peoples faces and ask for a comment?
This is going to be ugly and the longer the media highlights unsubstantiated accusations rather than facts, the uglier and less productive it will be.
New Albany's Certified Assessed (property) Value decreased by 13%. However, the state paired that decrease with an overall tax rate reduction of 24% for the district.
In last year's budget order, the tax rate for the general budget category was "reduced due to increased assessed evaluation". In this year's budget, nearly every category says "Rates reduced to remain within statutory levy limitation".
Message to municipalities: If your AV goes down, you get less money. If your AV goes up, we'll lower your rate to make sure you don't get more money. There's no way to win.
Recovery:
Step 1: Use available EDIT, Riverboat, and CDBG funds to increase AV. The City could also increase its annual intake of EDIT funds this way.
Step 2: Elect people to state office who will begin stamping out the rigid ideology that negates the benefits of Step 1.
Serious reform needs to happen at the state level before the performance of local governments can fairly judged. Not surprisingly, state government keeps placing the blame on the locals.
Grandstanding aside, does it make sense to schedule an emergency council meeting before getting some answers from the state?
I'm sure Mr. Coffey will have it all figured out by Wednesday at 6:00. "Nobody Tells Me Anything Yet I Know Everything"
There'll need to be a full investigation, and I'm guessing we all know who the judge and jury will be.
As for me, I'm taking the high road. The city can have the patio money back.
I hope $0.00 helps the cause.
I've been watching/reading about the budget slashes states are making coast to coast on basic gov't services. California anyone? In Massaschusetts(where i work) I've followed the news and seen both state and local governments proactively reducing budgets from the minute Lehman Brothers failed a years ago. They're still cutting. Like, there's a sudden drop in tax revenue, so gov't has to cut services or spend stimulus money? I did see a few highways last summer in New England advertising "paid for by 2009 stimulus act". I can't remember, did Southern Indiana receive any stimulus money? Was that the downtown paving?
Anyhoo - low and behold, local NA government is SHOCKED. I'm not so sure the writing was on the wall for the last year. But I do look forward to the upcoming 3-ring circus as the "sausage factory" implodes! and just in time for harvest homecoming...
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