My priorities are right I believe....we can't have a bureaucracy in City Hall Tower while our basic mission, Protection of the Citizens, is in jeopardy. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do that...
To be honest, I had no idea if my proposal would be successful. I didn't know how much or how little support it would have...I had some guesses but "open meeting laws" being what they are, I had to be very careful about approaching fellow alderpersons. I think I was as surprised as anybody when it passed 7-3.
That being said, I take no joy in it.
I can't because it's never a joyful moment when you eliminate another person's livelihood.
In all candor, I cannot say that I personally like the person whose job was eliminated but that's not why I took the measures I took. I chose her position for a number of reasons:
First, the City "rules" are that I couldn't add costs (firefighters) to the budget unless I proposed cuts of an equal amount. That's about $120,000 a year.
Second, If I was going to ADD recurring costs, then I'd have DELETE recurring costs. I couldn't take the "easy way" out and just cut out a street project for this year, it had to be a cost that came up year after year, or, maybe a recurring cost and some minor capital costs to get by for this year.
Third, almost all the major planning initiatives have been contracted out. We'll continue doing that.
Fourth, there are no "junior planners", or planning assistants, or just even categorical planners (community development, land use, recreation etc., etc.) ...there is (was) just a "director". It isn't a "department" in any real sense except that the GIS coordinator and Zoning administrator report to the "director" but that's all. And, in truth, the GIS coordinator takes a large part of his input from engineering and rightfully belongs in that department. Building Services (inspection, building permits, etc, ) are also a pretty good "fit" with Zoning Administration.(edited on Thursday for clarity)
Fifth, economic development is the "holy grail" of every public or quasi public organization and in our city, EVERYBODY AND THEIR BROTHER gets a "piece of the action". From the chamber, the mainstreet organization, two city committees, the Mayor's office claims a piece of it and so does the Administrator's office, and a quasi-public organization...they've all got their hands in it....Why did we need a separated City Department?
Given all that, the choice of WHICH department, was easy.....
doing it was hard.
I take no joy in it.
