By Curmudgeon
Two newspaper reports out this morning on the City Council budget meeting last night, at which the Council unanimously approved a budget for the coming fiscal year.
The first report, in the Standard-Examiner, dwells largely on the Council's including in the budget $75K to fund the "Colors of Success" anti-gang program for six months. The story provides some substantial detail about the program. The Std-Ex story also reports approval of $20K to study the financial problems of the Mt. Ogden Golf Course. And that the Council did not include money to pay for the Mayor's lobbyist for the next year. A spokesman for the Administration said it is exploring "other options" to pay for the contract the lobbyist has already signed with the Administration for the coming year. And the Council approved a 2% pay raise for city employees. The Std-Ex story said nothing about funding the ice tower.
The second story, in the Salt Lake Tribune, reports that the Council approved the compromise proposal for funding the ice tower, agreeing to a $100,000 subsidy. And the Trib noted that the $75K for the Colors of Success program was not in the proposed budget the Mayor sent to the Council.
Also from the Trib story:
One of the most substantial changes in the budget is the city's new approach to setting employee salaries. The council - acting on the recommendation of a committee of employees, department heads and council members - put an end to salary ladders and steps. From now on, employee salaries will be based on performance, and each job will be paid according to benchmarks set by comparing Ogden to 10 other cities. For the coming year, those employees not already topped in pay will get 2 percent raises. The city is also picking up the 9 percent increase in health insurance costs.Only one Ogden resident spoke at the meeting:
Only one resident spoke in the public hearing for the budget. Mitch Moyes argued that the city should put more money where its mouth is: into youth recreation programs emphasizing kayaking, mountain bike riding, and bouldering. "If our goal is to become the high adventure mecca of the world, then let's get our young people involved," said Moyes.Comments?
Update 6/11/08 8:08 a.m. MT: Councilwoman Jeske just posted a comment in the thread accompanying this article, indicating that the Salt Lake Tribune has misreported the council's action in re the ice tower. Whereas the Tribune reports that the council agreed to a $100 thousand contribution, Councilwoman Jeske advises that the council merely put the matter over for a budget hearing on June 24th, where the public will be invited to comment on the prospect of enacting a budget amendment to include $100,000 of carry-over funds from the FY2008 budget to be applied within the FY2009 budget to the ice tower.
