This morning's Std-Ex story reveals discrepencies and errors galore
By Disgusted
In this mornings Standard-Examiner the mayor talks about increasing the city budget by 13.4%, from 120.5 to 136.7 million dollars.
Hasn't the mayor been paying attention to the big picture? We're in a national economic slowdown. He says well finance the new budget with money from the recently raised sewer and water rate but he wont raise taxes. Tilt! What are the raised rates, if not tax increases under another name?
And the mayor says that we will fund this budget from increased revenues from The Junction. Didn't we just hear from him that the junction was behind projections on revenue generation and that we would have to subsidize the junction for at least a couple more years?
Also the 135 million dollar budget isn't represented in the pie chart that accompanies the story, which when totaled only accounts for 43.3 million dollars. Where is the rest of the money being spent?
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15 comments:
What the hell does the department of economic development spend 3.8 million daoolars a year on?
THe Fire budget is 6.5 million and they employ around 115 people.
I dont get it, what has the economic development department done? Perhaps they are ramping up to make a few more blunders this fy.
It is time for the city council to step up and have an independent audit of the city, all departments, before they approve of this budget. There are too may questions and not enough data to really see the total costs of running the city. Is there a hidden agenda and possible slush fund. What are we paying these administrators for if they have not done due dillegence in financials. Banking on future revenue may be a disaster for the taxpayers if those revenues don't materialize. The Junction was suppose to be paying its own way and yet we have covered the bond debt. What other debts must we also cover for ideas and glorious developments that sit empty and boadred up.
What:
You wrote: "Banking on future revenue may be a disaster for the taxpayers if those revenues don't materialize." True enough, but in the end, every city [and state] rests its budget on anticipated revenues, usually from a mix of sales, income or income taxes. There really is no other practical way to do it. And when those revenues fall short, painful mid-fiscal year budget cuts result, which often include layoffs.
Since basing budgets on anticipated revenues can't be avoided, what matters is that great care be taken to base projected revenues on solid grounds, not on wishin' and hopin' and dreamin'. And to [in the good years] put away a bit into a rainy day fund to help carry the city through down years without forcing mid-year budget cuts.
And I'd think Council members would also want to consider past performance with respect to the Mayor's office's budget projections. He's been in office eight years. Have his projections been generally good? Have actual revenues fallen short much over those years? Are there particular kinds of city revenues the Administration has a good record predicting, and other kinds it has a poorer record predicting? [Revenues from The Junction might fit under the latter heading.]
All of that should come into play in the Council's consideration of the Mayor's proposed budget. [It's not the city's budget until the Council adopts it.] It's a tough job, being on the Council. It takes endless hours of work to do the job well, involves a great deal of responsibility, and all for not much pay. Sometimes, I don't know why they do it.
This is too funny! The Std-Ex purports to comment on the newly-proposed Godfrey budget, and then puts up a pie-cart that reveals a little more than one-third of Godfrey's proposed expenditures.
The Std-Ex "piechart" is damn near as useless as the Std-Ex editors themseleves, who even now fail to editorialize on the topic that's fairly obvious to Emerald CIty Citizens, i.e.:
"Matt Godfrey is a financial dunce."
HAHAHAH!
Ah, hell Rudi. You cant blame the Standard Examiner for the cheesey pie chart.
They are most likely giving us the same Bullshit that Lard Ass Johnson gave to them.
But that is the way of lazy reporters not to check facts.
Good points, Fly.
And I'll say from my "heart of hearts" that I hope that the ridiculous pie chart which appeared in today's atticle was based on data provided by Godfrey's people.
Even that wouldn't let olde-fashioned journalist-editors like Porter, Howell, et. all completely off the hook, I'm sorry to say.
"Olde-fashioned journalists" are supposed to fact-check, after all. And if they'd done that, they probably would have noticed that the $43 million shown in the spending data didn't actually match the $136 million in the proposed Godfrey budget.
Careful analysis is the very least that Std-Ex readers should expect of our home-town newspaper.
Sadly... the Std-Ex let us down on this today.
Rudi, the rest of the pie has been reserved, for Lowe and Peterson, you know, those privately funded must have amenities. Lying little matty just mis applied the definition of private. ( see secret)
Hey Bill, You forgot Gadi the accused criminal code violator, Scott Brown, and Stewie Reid, and the many other pigs sucking at the teat of Ogden taxpayers.
Fly, I stand corrected.
according to the mayor in the paper the proposed budget will maintain city services at their current levels.
is anyone other than the gang bangers happy or feel safe with the current level of police protection.
does anyone feel that our fire departments are up to the task.
does anyone remember the numerous levels of public services that we used to receive in this city that we dont anymore like street sweeping or spring clean up or snow removal. what if some of us want more than what we got. what if some of us want what we used to have.
Disgusted:
But... but... but... now we have the promise of a flatland gondola running from a hotel that doesn't exist to a private gondola that doesn't exist connecting to a ski resort that doesn't exist.
Geez, you guys aren't satisfied with anything.
"Sadly... the Std-Ex let us down on this today."
You say this as if it's an unusual event. ;-)
Curm:
lol You hit it perfectly on the head, or should I say Forehead. Sadly, however, it's *so* true, it's almost not funny. -sigh-
wish the std-ex was as critical and expecting of accurate information of the ogden city officials as they were today in their editorial of riverdale city officials. today being may 8.
What tax revenue will all those boarded up homes along the river bring in come November? Drove by the old Golds Gym on 25th and the weeds are getting mighty high. All of the boarded up businesses on Washington looks more like East St. Louis than Ogden. When will the economic team bring in more business.
Todays paper also mentioned re-furbishing a caboose for an information center center for Frontrunner. I guess the administration, chamber or 25th business guild read the WCF and stepped up. Whay wasn't it ready when the Frontrunner started to drop off visitors? Will it be a HIGH ADVENTURE caboose.
What:
I wonder if the Caboose, once it gets up and running, which will take a while, will hand out information about the Lesham City area you described. Looks like it's going to be with us for a while.
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