Study Session Presentations

At tonight’s study session, the City Council will be bombarded with major presentations covering Water, Sewer, Streets and other traditional public works issues. Capital expenses in the multi-millions will be tossed at them in a jam packed agenda.
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I laud the fact that this type of information is going to the Council well in advance of the budgeting process for 2007. Unfortunately the Council members will have a very limited time to ask questions but they will be held to their comments by the staff.
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I hope the aftermath of the meeting will not follow the same pattern as that of previous years. Each year the staff makes a major power point presentation and then uses it as a “We told you so” whenever the Council questions or objects to some future expenditure as the ensuing year progresses.
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I hope this year the Council members will remember that the generalized, global presentation is not tying their hands when considering the budget because they will hear “We told you so.” This staff loves to make a general presentation, ask if there are any comments and then slam in the details many months later. Don’t make one commitment until you see the fine print and associated costs.
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Another concern about tonight is that one of the presentations includes specific requests for funding during 2007. That is troublesome because of two reasons. First, the budget development process does not begin normally until mid-September when all requests are compared to needs, objectives and revenues. Second, there will be a new City Manager and tonight’s presentations could well be seen as a way to tie his hands if the Council is not careful. If the present staff could convince the Council to buy into some specifics now, it would only be human of them to resist changes.
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My suggestion is that the Council obtains the big picture and says thanks. No more.