Some Final Thoughts on The 2010 Franklin Budget

Like nearly 100 Franklin citizens, I attended the Franklin Common Council’s public hearing on Mayor Taylor’s 2010 Recommended Budget (Greg, was that “King Fischer” sitting next to you at the meeting?) Never mind…

For me THE most interesting moment during the meeting came when Mayor Taylor broke the tie on the budget vote, thereby passing a 2.9% tax levy which included filling one of two vacant police officer positions and one vacant firefighter position.

I felt the debate among our Aldermen to find a way to fund these public safety positions showed democracy in action.  However, I have a couple of questions and an observation I’d like to share with my readers.  First, why couldn’t Mayor Taylor, his top administrators (Cal Patterson and Mark Luberda), and the Finance Committee, chaired by long-time Alderman Tim Solomon, find the funding for these public safety positions prior to the public hearing? As far as I’m concerned, had these public officials worked more closely with each other in creating the first draft of the budget, and had public safety been a top priority with these officials,they would have likely found the necessary funding ans still have kept the tax levy at 2.9% (which is exactly what reseulted due to the public hearin.  And If I’m correct,  the approved budget did contain some sort of provision for filling anothe police officer position it becomes necessary later this year.

It was also interesting to me that by voting "aye” to break the common council’s tie vote on the “revised” 2010 budget, Mayor Taylor essentially voted AGAINST his original 2010 recommended budget, which DID NOT include filling any vacant police officer or firefighter positions.

Gee…that’s weird, isn’t it?

Comments

[uc]

To coin a memorable quote that can be applied to our mayor in many cases, as now............"He's so far up the ass of repulsive politics that he views the world as one giant colon."
That also can be said for most council members sans the most recently elected. I hope this kind of change continues. We are in dire need of representatives with a high corruption-resistant type of strain to revitalize attention to constituency needs and not neglect it in lieu of being defiled by the special interest power mongers, e.g.; Mark Carstensen and others from this specie of ruthless developers.