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Where did the money go?
How did things go so bad, so fast?
At the beginning of 2008, Ocean Shores had a very comfortable balance (“reserves”) of $2.2 million. Later that year, newly-elected Mayor Dean Bunkers told city council that layoffs would be needed, to maintain a balance of at least $1
million. In late 2009, Bunkers told council that, if drastic action was not taken, there was a danger that checks could be bounced, in early 2010. Now, even after several rounds of layoffs, Ocean Shores begins 2010 with a balance of only $611,058, according to the 2010 budget. While some adjustments may make this figure slightly higher, the 2010 budget only funds the Library and Interpretive Center for three months each.
Additionally, “interfund loans” from the water utility at the end of 2009 total just over $620,000, primarily to Emergency Care ($303,000), the Hotel-Motel Tax fund ($167,000) and Convention & Tourism ($110,000).
If the water, sewer, and storm utilities have extra funds then I say we are being charged to much for utilities. A utility fund is only to support it’s self not generate money for other projects. I have heard of transfers from equipment funds but never utility funds. I had always thought it was illegal to transfer utility funds to the general fund. Can anyone enlighten me?
Maybe the radio station should have interviewed Al when he requested time before the last election. In spite of the efforts to block his message, 68& still heard and voted. Now it is time to have a true Public Radio Station that listens to both sides of all issues. Maybe more discussion will happen when the new levies come forward. Soon the sum of the whole will be greater than the amount they originally asked for. It takes two to tango… Time for the Radio station to take the lead.
The bottom line is that our city government LOVES to spend the citizens’ money, and have no clue how to manage it. Then they want to cover their losses with creating more LIDS/Levies. It is going to get to the point that many “fixed income” citizens (majority of our residents) cannot affort to continue living in this city. Why in the world we needed a Taj Mahal for a fire department?…many larger cities don’t have half of the square footage in their FD. What about the fancy roundabout?…drivers still stop at the yield signs. A traffic light will have suffice our traffic needs, and cost a lot less. And please stop mourning the lost jobs of the City…they were overstaffed anyway in City Hall and Permit Center. It is sad that people have to lose their jobs but in a bad economy that happens…everywhere…why should Ocean Shores be any different? Traggic is the closing of the Library, and the Interpretive Center (run by volunteers). Sure..cut down on education more than already is. Limit the resources for our youth, the future of this country, rather than reduce the City’s outrageous salaries. It is sad, but this City government doesn’t have their priorities straight. What is going to take to change their bad spending habits???
Fedup Citizen
As usual, Mr. Williams was spot-on.
This is good place to review this last year’s 2008 guest editorial. You couldn’t have gotten a better analysis from a $250/hour consultant. He even predicted surprises for 2009 which turned out to be a crippled Library in the shadow of a Taj Mahal and a limping Interpretive center.
Even the bankruptcy point is predicted to come true in 2010 and that is beginning to look credible with barely enough money in the checking account to pay the monthly bills.
This week’s Guest Editorial: “A year of surprises”
By Tom Scanlon
Posted Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 at 11:18 AM
Time after time in City Council meetings, Donald Williams would
respectfully ask pointed questions, usually regarding complex budget
issues. I have been impressed with his grasp of the big picture and
small details, and asked this resident of Ocean Shores since 2005 (and property owner since 1999) to write a Guest Editorial, summarizing his view of the budget. Even though he is wintering in Southern California, he agreed. -Tom Scanlon
By Donald S. Williams
2008 was a year with many surprises. In my view, the biggest surprise
was the positive effect of the change to the Mayor – Council form of
government. For the first time, the person in charge of City affairs
is an advocate for the citizens and is accountable only to the
citizens. That’s a big change compared to the Council – Manager form
where, at times, there seemed to be a cozy relationship between the
City Manager and the City Council.
As I look back, I realize that the majority of Ocean Shores voters (in
fact, 59% of them) were just plain fed up with how the City was being
run. Citizens who wanted to speak at City Council meetings were
denied the opportunity. I attended many town meetings covering topics
such as City facilities, beach vending, fireworks and Weatherwax where
public comment was in one direction only to have the City Council or a
department head surprise us by doing the opposite.
There were big surprises, too. One was the purchase a new City Hall
before finding a buyer for the old building. The City came up $207,000
short and had to sell bonds to cover the shortfall. We got a new City
Hall that does not meet the City’s needs and will probably require
replacement. Another surprise was the Council’s request for citizens
to give their vision for the Weatherwax property. The vast majority
said preserve Weatherwax only to have the Council vote to sell The
Point. Then there was the surprise write-off of a $450,000 interfund
loan to pay for a parking lot at the Convention Center. After three
years, no payments were made and the loan was written off last
December. If it wasn’t for the State Auditor’s order to resolve the
non-payment, the loan would still be on the City’s Books. Another
surprise was the Council’s decision to terminate City Manager Rich
McEachin six months before the new Mayor was sworn in which forced the City to hire an interim City Manager. This cost the City over 200,000 which was not budgeted and many citizens saw the Council as ensuring that Mr. McEachin got his “golden parachute” after working for less than one year. The money came out of the City’s general fund reserve -where the Council always found money for surprise unplanned expenditures that often popped on to the Council’s agenda.
January, 2008 brought two new members to the City Council and a
directive to encourage public participation at Council meetings.
Public participation increased and the Council started listening to
the citizens. An Interim City Manager was hired until the new
government could take over in June.
It didn’t take Mayor Bunkers long to give us a new and very serious
surprise. In July we learned of a serious budget shortfall. When a
first-pass of the budget was released in October, we discovered that
expenditures in the general fund exceeded revenues by $750,000 and if spending was not curtailed or revenues increased that the City would
be bankrupt sometime in 2010. How could Ocean Shores in less than two years go from prosperity to bankruptcy?
The City’s financial problems date back to 2001 when there was a
budget shortfall and then City Manager Dennis Hunter created, and the City Council approved, the 2002 Cost Allocation Table and began
transferring money from the utility fund and other non-revenue funds
to the general fund. This “new money” and budget amendments were used to balance the 2001 budget. This should have raised a red flag because transfers from non-revenue funds cannot be sustained. Nevertheless, Council-approved transfers of about $1.2 Million each year continued under Mr. Hunter and then under City Manager David Weiser until 2006 when they were stopped by the State Auditor because they were not based on actual costs. A financial consultant determined the legally-correct amount for these transfers was $550,000 less each year and that the City owed $1.9 Million to the utility fund to repay the six years of overcharges. During this time, the City went on a spending spree adding employees and increasing wages and benefits
.
The spending spree continued with the addition of 13 new City
employees in 2007 and that same year City Manager Rich McEachin signed labor contracts, also approved by the City Council, that increased labor costs by $2.0 Million between January 2007 and January 2009. The reduction in cost allocation transfers, the new City employees and the incredible salary and benefit increases (with annual increases extending to 2012) were pushing the City towards bankruptcy. The citizens of Ocean Shores should be asking: Where was the City Council that was supposed to oversee the City Manager? They weren’t watching the ball which is another reason why Ocean Shores needed the change in
government.
The 2009 budget was approved by the City Council on December 8 but not without last minute surprises. First, the Convention Center overspent and early in 2009 it will require an interfund loan of up to $200,000. This loan must be repaid in future years. Second, it was disclosed that nearly 80 fire department inspection and operating permit fees which should be generating over $75,000 in annual revenue were not being charged. These charges will begin in 2009. Finally, an unbudgeted $325,000 state insurance bill was misplaced and had to be added into the 2008 budget amendment before closing out the year.
Even late in the budget cycle the surprises just would not stop.
Everyone in Ocean Shores will be sharing the pain of the 2009 budget.
For property owners, taxes will increase $36 on a $200,000 assessment with $28 of this amount caused by a “banked” levy. The banked levy is a permanent tax increase that will carry forward to future years. For City employees, working hours may be cut 10%, possibly to a four-day work week, and at least eight will lose their jobs.
There will be increases in permit center fees, fees for emergency medical services, and fire department inspections and permits. Fire districts outside Ocean Shores will pay more for services provided by the City. The budget, at least on paper, is balanced with a $1.071 Million reserve at the end of 2009. Because many of these changes have not yet been implemented, I expect to see more surprises in 2009.
I am thankful that we now have a smart financial team at City Hall
that prevented a financial train wreck. Hard work by Mayor Bunkers and his team has, for now, stopped the train. A lot needs to be done for the budget to be in balance at the end of 2009. We don’t need any more surprises.
I have high expectations that the new City leadership under Mayor
Bunkers will do a better job at controlling the City’s operating and
capital costs and a better job at long range planning, than ever done
under the prior Council – Manager form of government. What’s critical
is for Mayor Bunkers to show the citizens of Ocean Shores a road map
of where we are going. There are many unfunded projects such as water and sewer upgrades; downtown revitalization; aging and inadequate facilities including the library, police station and permit center; additions and fire apparatus for the new fire station; expansion of the south-end fire station; cultural-civic center; street maintenance;
building maintenance; park and recreation funding and a skateboard
park. And no one knows how the City will repay the $1.9 Million owed
to the utility fund because of the excessive cost allocation
transfers. These needs must be prioritized and priced out, then
presented to the citizens so we can consider them.
Citizens must see the entire shopping list before any single project
is put up for consideration and we will need valid cost estimates for
each project. Citizens need this information very soon because in
2010 every lot will be assessed for the Street LID. Initial estimates
are that property owners will pay at least $200 per year for each lot
or an equivalent lump sum. That’s six times more than this year’s
property tax increase so it will definitely be a consideration as we
look over the project list. Each project needs to be prioritized and
priced out so the citizens can, for the first time, see everything on
one page.
(please imagine audio of wild applause, here)
Bravo, Mr. Hyde!
I, for one, am taking notes.
My favorite part of this excellent analysis: “…if Ocean Shores had lived sustainably within its means for the years following the developer’s bankruptcy, the town would be deserted today.”
(Might go back a bit farther than the roots of our current problems, but, then again, you know how weed roots can be deceptively deep . . .)
Welcome back Tom Hyde, your perspective is welcome!
By the way, I wanted to note what I consider one of Ocean Shores greatest accomplishments – the sewer LIDs in the late 1990s. It extended needed service to all lots within the city, many of which arguably were not good candidates for on-site under new public health laws, and provided greater opportunity for increased development. The huge project, one of the largest if not the largest sewer LID in state history, also came in on time and within 1 percent of budget (nearly unheard of in government projects in general) proving that stuff could get done right in Ocean Shores. Say what you will about them but Paul Richert (city engineer) and Jack McKenzie (city manager) got stuff done, and did not leave the debt for the future.
Interfund loans have been used to balance the budget since the 1980s in one form or another, except of course, when they were just distributed across departments as billable hours under creative bookkeeping. It was brilliant really, except it was found to be illegal which should have come as no surprise. That recent practice put in place under the Veitz/Hunter term came to a halt as a result of the spotlight shone by Dean Bunkers and subsequent state investigations if I remember correctly. There have been numerous findings and “management recommendations” against Ocean Shores by the state going back at least to the 1980s regarding problems with the tracking and repayment of interfund loans. Following Carrillo and the loss of utility “standby fee” revenue, and the subsequent repayment of those fees collected per the Carrillo judgement, and the many utility capital improvements in recent years, I doubt the utility accounts are the slush funds they once were. Ah the pity, those were the good old days when you had a full bar in the public works office upstairs.
It’s interesting to see a substantial portion of these contemporary loans going to the tourism tax revenue fund. Many people, including I believe Pete Jordan and Dave Creighton, noted the incredibly optimistic 2 and 3 percent revenue projections on which the bond for the new convention center was based and raised the roof about it. Of course they were villified, and some could argue persecuted, or is that prosecuted, I get those mixed up?
I assume this is a major source of the shortfall, or “expenditure stress” in the hotel-motel tax fund and convention and tourism budget? And why differentiate between the Hotel-Motel Tax Fund and Convention and Tourism since the latter comes from the former, does it not?
Having seen Ocean Shores issues over a 20-year period off and on, and having a fair grounding in some of the pertinent municipal issues before that, it really is fascinating how often history repeats itself in that city as if there is little institutional knowledge (and of course there is not given the demographic), or perhaps just disregard for the mistakes of the past, or simply a political hunger by some to make a mark now at both the expense and benefit of future residents.
On the other hand, if Ocean Shores had lived sustainably within its means for the years following the developer’s bankruptcy, the town would be deserted today. The city has always had to choose between either shoving its maintenance or shoving its debt forward in order to sustain itself for the present. I think most government entities do, in fact, it’s just that Ocean Shores has been in the position of doing it to a greater extent than most because it is still recovering from being overbuilt and underpopulated. It’s like most American families living paycheck to paycheck with way too many credit card bills and debt, and postponing the inevitable praying for that winning lotto ticket. That reminds me of the Homer Simpson quote regarding the voluntary tax that is the lottery ticket … “It’s the only hope I have left in the world.”
To a great extent, the inverse law of pay it forward has worked for Ocean Shores, or at least given it the ability to hang onto the ledge, but has also left the city in a precarious situation vulnerable to the whims of cyclical economic periods. When you are at the top of the wave, it’s hard to remember what the bottom is like.
Blah, blah, blah … I know, that’s all pretty obvious.
)
Wise Guy,
“Volunteers are providing many basic services. (Crime watch, Emergency Services, PAWs, Food Bank, FOL, Beach Clean-up, Lunch programs, Senior Center, Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, thrift Store, etc, etc, etc.)” This was true before and are true now. These are, and always have been normal Ocean Shores volunteer programs. Even “Emergency Services” have been volunteer programs here in the past and just outside of town in District 7 and 8 and other Fire Districts. All the fraternal organizations have always been volunteer organizations. So, the only change here is the number of employees. Yes, we did “fire” the old administration. Yes, we did “fire” some of the employees. The changes needed have to reflect the realities on the ground.
What is a reality here is that when revenues drop you have to drop expenses. Maybe how we set up contracts, without deference to where the employee lives, should be reviewed. Then we are looking out for employees that choose to live within the city. Either way, we have to cut the non-employee expenses or the employee expenses.
People are expecting the city to reflect the same cuts many you speak of have taken in their own budgets. If your investments are crashing and you don’t have that income, then you cut your expenses. Phone, cable, dinners out, and what you buy at the market reflect the changes you make. The same holds true for the city.
What people are doing is crying out loudly because they are hurting and that is not complaining.
Everyone is sacrificing.
The thought the council should be taking home after all the cries from the citizens is that you can’t get blood from a stone.
We will soon see the Road LID, Library Levy, Interpretive Center Levy, EMS Levy, and increased State Taxes. The end result is that we will spend less in the stores and thus continue their hardship.
Look at the number of empty businesses. Look at the buildings. They look tired and worn. Government is not going to paint them. Government is not going to put tenants in them. Only citizens shopping in them will float this boat.
Watch and see if spending slows. However, they will still want a new Permit Center, Library, City Council/Courts building, Police Station and additional Public Works storage buildings.
Wise Guy: Points taken. Hopefully, you’re not reading this as me blaming CURRENT council-city govt. for blowing through the $2.2 mil “reserve.” This is a starting point to ask people what they feel happened; several are saying this was triggered by multiple factors in the very recent past . . . specifically, 2008.
Whoa!
Let’s use some common sense! Tom’s numbers, below, indicate that the “old” council and administration did ramp up the General Fund spending. It was particularly egregious when “that” council and administration knew of the cost allocation problems, and buried their heads in the sand. (The hiring during this period was criminal.) WELL, GET OVER IT, WE FIRED THEM!
So, unless we are wearing blinders, when we look at lost general fund revenues (including 500k per year from the phony cost allocation,) lower general fund budgets and headcounts (I hate the term FTE) for 2009 and 2010, we can see that the “current” council and administration are trying to rectify the situation.
It is Tom’s job to editorialize and stir up the pot. Who else will report on the “missed” interest on the road utility? But, there are times to look at the big picture AND GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DO!
Yes, we can ask the city for a rehash and comparison of income and spending? (It seems that our friend Tom does this weekly?) My head spins with the numbers that have been thrashed through dozens of times recently. And yes, we still make some bonehead mistakes. And let us hope that trends in the Ocean Shores financial situation are flattening out (as is the overall economy.)
But remember, even the most conservative amongst us must admit that we have run out of “easy” cuts to the city budget and headcounts. Many fellow citizens (as employees of the city) are now in the unemployment lines. (those on fixed incomes need to think of those now on ‘no’ incomes.) Many other city employees have been forced to take 10 percent pay cuts. We’ve had to short change the Library and Interpretive Center. Volunteers are providing many basic services. (Crime watch, Emergency Services, PAWs, Food Bank, FOL, Beach Clean-up, Lunch programs, Senior Center, Kiwanis, Lions, Elks, thrift Store, etc, etc, etc.) We have watched others help in these areas before, but they have now almost become basic services and are needed now more then ever. The general fund cuts were not easy decisions and have been gut wrenching to those who had to make them, and even worse to the recipients of the lost jobs and lower salaries.
For once, let us count our blessings and hope that the current administration, council, city employees and in particular city volunteers keep their chins up. Let us hope for better times for those who had to accept the losses.
No one is perfect. Some recent changes may require rethinking, but how can we keep complaining so ‘loudly’ in the face of others sacrifices?
Sure Tom, keep us on our toes, but don’t forget the folks who are trying thier best, with very little to work with.
The 2010 Budget was based on the projected 2009 Budget with some decreases in certain line items. Few decreases were significant – most others were not. Yet, the 2009 Budget resulted in a shortfall at the end of the year. I know that the City is required to pass a budget by year end – but why didn’t City Council demand that the numbers be cut “substantially” on every possible line item? The Budget that was passed for 2010 only compounds the problems and shortfalls that the City experienced in 2009. With this type of budgeting, it will take years for the City to recover. The 2010 Budget that City Council approved has set the City of Ocean Shores up for certain failure if not probable bankruptcy. If City Council wants to make the City solvent again, they must demand monthly year to date projections to insure there is no over spending in any department and they must demand that further cuts be made in each department to come in under budget and be financially responsible to the citizens of Ocean Shore. If Council cannot operate the City in 2010 under budget – then perhaps it is time for the City to disperse and go back under the reign of Grays Harbor County.
As far as “where did the money go” question – we will never really no because it appears that there are no checks and balances of how the money is spent – the goal has been to just spend it!
Walrus, re “about two million dollars has been cut from the budget in the last two years” — are you talking about the General Fund? If so, that seems like too generous a figure (more like cut $1.2 million from the high):
General Fund uses from 2010 recommended budget
2006 $4.90 mil
2007 $5.34 mil
2008 $5.78 mil
2009 $5.42 mil *budget
2010 $4.51 mil *requested
Yes Walrus, that is a big move in the right direction and we want that mindset to become second nature to the council. We know it’s not easy to turn the ship, but there should be no more mistakes if time is taken to do the research before spending.
Question everything, assume nothing…..
has anyone noticed that about two million dollars has been cut from the budget in the last two years and that the total FTE”s have been reduced from 97 to about 72? I think even the harshesat of critics would agree this represents moving in the right direwction!!
The only “utility” paid by vacant land is the storm drain utility fee. All others, water and sewer are paid by utility users. The only question I would have is the LID for sewer. That though was a one time event. The monthly bill for water and sewer is paid by the people who have installed meters.
Excellent points, Wise Guy. While the transfers of $500k per year from utilities to General Fund have stopped, at the end of December more than $600k was “loaned” from the water utility to other funds (though not directly to the General Fund). Hopefully, they will all be paid back, in a reasonable amount of time — to the utility users, who have been pouring (so to speak) money into the city for years.
Also, don’t ALL property owners pay some utilities, even if they own undeveloped lots?
How soon we forget? Does anyone remember the Cost Allocation fiasco?
Until a few years ago, we were illegally transferring 500,000 plus dollars per year from the utilities to the general fund for overhead. The transfers were illogically based on a “made up” grossly exagerated percentage.
Well, guess what? The old ’spend until you drop’ council, continued the process for an extra year or two even after being being notified of the illegalities. In fact, some of our dumbest long range expenditures were committed to during a rush to beat the citizens electorial attempts to rectify the citys administration and governance. The State eventually “required” the city drop this process and only transfer actuals (much less money) for overhead services into the general fund. (Not only did we lose the ability to transfer much of the 500 thousand, we still owe the utility payers for “back” transfers.) Of course the biggest hit, is that the general fund has been hundreds of thousands short for the last two plus years because much of the illegal transfers have been stopped (even though many of the long range spending consequences put in place by those extra funds are still in place.)
The bottom line is that for years, the general fund (which represents all 12,000 property owners) was living on utility funds (from approx. 5,000 – 6,000 property owners) good graces. The well ran dry, and we have not figured out how to replace those funds. Yet, we gave out raises, made leases, and etc. based on the illegal fund transfers that have stopped (even after we knew better.) (Isn’t that correct Mike and Nick?)
We were led down a path of ill adviced monetary policy by a city manager and city council that did not understand economics (nor accounting.) Hopefully, the last election has rid us of their last vestiges. The new administration and council appear to understand the history and are working hard to set things in order. Because of the current economic situation, it may take years for things to get back in order.
Let’s hope that power and arrogance does not overtake the new administration and council! We won’t agree with every solution or gimmick they propose, but let’s try and give them some general support before they either change or run and hide. Every single one of them ran on platforms opposed to the the “old” strategies. “SO,” we at least need to hold their feet to the fire on their committments.
yepper, i patrol mine with my buddies, aka: S&W, Winchester and Ruger.
G.H. Did the burglars prove what you stated? Would the solution be more of the same or better service from what we have? Again, burglar alarms on the shops would thwart many of the crimes against businesses. Armed response private security would verify. Then the police would come to investigate if desired. Many homes have alarms to protect them here. I am sure the banks do. If you check your insurance carrier, they will reduce your cost of insurance if you have a professional system installed. Professional means that it is set up to minimize false alarms. Also, video cameras are a cheap item now. If you look at that facility, with buildings back to back, no patrol officer, unless on foot, would see something happening. Maybe it is time for the “homeowners association” to do something about their own security. If I recall, they are a business condo project.
the “new ” utility truck was put into use when the new waste water treatment super took over.that truck is dedicated to keeping your “leftovers” flowing. when i needed help that big green truck was here in less than 30 minutes and problem solved in another 15. it’s kind of a mobile work shop. i believe it has been here over a year.
Tom, If your talking raising taxes then I don’t think you have seen anything yet, wait till the Legislature meets, the facts are quite simple if you want services, fire, ems, police, drivable roads, health care, etc. then someone has to pay for it. You know that rash of recent burglaries downtown the crooks might have just been reading these blogs about how lazy and inept our police force is and decided on a free for all, less police?? I don’t think our insurance rates can handle that. Anyway I’m glad you took my point!
Re, G.H. questions/implications:
G.H.: “Stirring again Tom,” T.S.: yes, guilty;
G.H.: “Are we the only city, county, state to have a problem,” T.S.: no, point taken;
G.H.: “ya think it might have something to do with the ecomomy.” T.S.: yes, but not entirely;
G.H.: “You know building down, people unemployed, spending down, tourism down!!!” T.S.: taxes up, salaries up, interfund loans up
You are right G. H. Miller. It is the economy. Then you respond accordingly. The city, like the citizens tighten their belt and pull in the spending. You only spend what you have. We delayed acting upon bad economic news repeatedly. We cut some, but not enough. The 50 Year Anniversary spending really is not necessary. Who cares. Maybe put it in your letters to people, but don’t make it a reason for new letterhead. That same idea has to go everywhere in the city. If we have the old banner, fly it. If we need a new one, get one that will work for the next 50 years. If nothing more, a single sign at the entrance to town would suffice. If the businesses want to put it on their marque or in their windows, fine. But we should spend in relationship to what we have without borrowing from other funds.
Where are we going to get the money to pay the water utility back if we are burning money faster than we are gaining it?
That has to be in the budget too. That means cut cut cut.
That is what the other cities, counties, and states are doing. We can not borrow our way out of the current situation. We are reaching our limit.
If the press stirs the pot and flies come out, let them land where they choose. The ones swatting flies will be the ones that were caught when the _______ hit the fan.
Stiring again Tom, what is a hard decision?? Are we the only city, county, state to have a problem, ya think it might have something to do with the ecomomy. You know building down, people unemployed, spending down, tourism down!!!
noticed today a new utility truck for Ocean Shores that I had not seen before. Green, dodge van type truck. Where’d that come from?
Those decisions are right around the corner. First they will set the new Ambulance Utility fee at the maximum amount. Then they will ask us for a library levy. Then they will ask for an interpretive center levy. Then they will ask for an EMS levy to make up the amount the Ambulance Utility does not cover. We will end up with more property taxes. Then when the economy gets better, we will conveniently forget that we increased the property taxes. We will take in the sales, B&O and building permit fees and spend them like nothing had ever happened.
Those decisions will be portrayed as “hard decisions”. Everyone will wring their hands and shake their heads.
“Oh dear, mercy me too,- Piglet
You forgot to mention the other interfund loan from the water utility last June, to balance the 2008 budget. That brings to a grand total 1.4M from the water utility. Any corporate CFO and/or accountant would have been fired long ago if they could not control their budget any better than this. I doubt that our current administration will ever be capable of making the hard decisions.