“It may seem like an odd time to do facility planning, but really it’s a great time…The current economic conditions are really challenging staff to rethink how we provide services and which service we provide.”
-Village Manager Dave Fieldman at the Feb. 24 council workshop meeting.
Quote/unquote
March 2nd, 2009 · by Elaine Johnson · 5 Comments · Quote/unquote
Tags:
Plan all you want – just don’t spend a cent.
$400,000 is in this year’s budget for planning. This has been pointed out many times.
Only a government mentality results in spending everything in the budget. Not a single dollar need be spent on facility planning, because it does not make sense to spend money when the tax base is struggling to the extent that it is. We’ll only have to do another study in a few years, and you guessed it, we’ll spend $600,000 at that time. With a potential economic depression looming, it is not the time to consider major facilities.
When the village has to start laying people off there will be plenty of room in the existing facilities.
After tonight’s council meeting I’ll be amazed if they stick to that budget amount. Everyone is reading how other cities and villages are firing and laying off, right? Fieldman did a good job seeing trouble coming last year, I have to assume he sees the storm front and is making adjustments.
I sent him and email just now and asked him.
Fieldman, as usual, responded promptly. They’re not living in a bubble, and are sorting through many unpleasant budget options. I’ll wait for meeting green sheets that have some specifics and let you know.