"The Street Department-which cleans, repairs and maintains New Albany's 150 miles of roads-was not so fortunate. The council voted no relief to the department at Thursday night's special meeting and City Controller Kay Garry did not suggest any."
And...
Garry states: a recent cash infusion from economic-development tax revenue that was meant to wipe out the Street Department's deficit and pay for a sweeper and yard-waste collection truck the department wants and would cost about $250,000 combined.
The council upheld the state's order of a $347,357 cut to a $1,322,229 budget for 2007, a calculation based on the gas-tax revenue that funds the Street Department.
Source: New Albany Tribune - June 22, 2007
Freedom of Speech would like to ask: Why did the Council agree to cover the 2007 Budget Cuts for Board of Works and Controller's Office, and ignore the $347,357 budget cut in the Street Department?
The previous approval of $800,000 EDIT money was made to cover a deficit in the Street Department. The Street Department should NOT be blamed for that deficit.
For your information Mrs. Garry, the Sanitation Department was privatized and some sanitation staff was moved over to the Street Department. Our Street Department picks up waste that the new "Private Sanitation Company" does not pick up!
So--the Street Department needs funding to pay extra staff and they need funding for repairs and new equipment.
Sure makes sense to us taxpayers!
Does it seem like a fair decision Mrs. Garry when:
1.) you dumb more work on them and then,
2.) cut their budget?
Why don't we just cut the Controllers budget!
Freedom of Speech has a suggestion: "Council needs to review this problem."
Also Mrs. Garry, you are paid by us citizens to look out for taxpayers best interest. To spend our money wisely. What ever happen to creative funding?
You always seem to have money for everything else this administration wants.
Instead, you totally ignore our Street Department problems. Why?
"We might come closer to balancing the Budget if all of us lived closer to the Commandments and the Golden Rule."
~Ronald Reagan
