As I mentioned in this week's column, I wanted to see just what it was the charter said about what the mayor is supposed to include in his budget presentation, but I couldn't find the most recent version of the charter.
I finally got the chance today to track it down. The relevant section reads:
The mayor shall annually before each November 1 prepare and submit to the board of aldermen a budget predicated as necessary to operate all branches of city government. The board of aldermen may reduce the proposed budget but may not increase it.
That does not look to me like it says the mayor can't include revenue projections, but I'm not a lawyer. Maybe we should check with City Attorney Andrew Costello.
"I agree with that -- nothing that requires you to do it, nothing that stops you from doing it if you were so inclined," Costello said when I bounced my interpretation off him this afternoon.
So maybe the Mayor's comments regarding Rutland City Watch should change the charter were the wrong words? Maybe he should stop and think through his thoughts before shooting off at the mouth? Maybe the mayor should craft a budget like other Municipalities, with tax rates and revenues, but that may be asking for too much. This coming from someone who claimed "Transparency will be the hallmark of my administration". How we doing on his agenda? http://www.lourasformayor.com/issuesop.html
Posted by: Shawn Pemrick | 12/06/2011 at 06:23 PM