Budget passage begins real trial

"Meanwhile, Cumley faces the real task of producing a city budget that isn't going to make anybody happy, and all of the shortcomings stir up past city failures, from municipal court embezzlement to the underfunded fire and police pension to the fact that too much general revenue is paying off bonds on projects that haven't yet produced the predicted revenue".
And to this end THEY still haven't learned a lesson since The Heer's building is way OVER ESTIMATED on proposed revenue from taxation. I would be quite surprised to find if revenues generated are half of what has been predicted.

"Constituents want more. City Council members want more".
By this statement I'm hoping they mean more accountability and not more services. The city leaders have put the taxpayers in a VERY BAD situation with over spending and unaccountability on various city projects. You can't repeatily spend more money then you bring in.

"Employee groups want more". I hate to say it however there is a price to pay for working for an organization which derives its income from taxpayers. If the city worked more along the lines of a successful business model instead of a typical government entity we the taxpayers wouldn't be in this position to have to be the bad guy. I feel for those that aren't going to get a salary increase, however when times are tight it is YOU the city employees that must tighten your department belts first before demanding that the people that pay for the city largess to change their accustomed lifestyle.
I can't raise my salary or my benefits level unless my company increases its marketshare, I can't force the citizenry of this city, county, or surrounding counties to purchase my product. THAT is the DIFFERENCE between legit business and government

Budget passage begins real trial


The pained expression on Springfield City Manager Bob Cumley's face when he speaks of the city budget can't be ignored.

Cumley is in a tough spot.

No matter how you slice up the revenue, there isn't enough to go around. Employee groups want more. Constituents want more. City Council members want more. Meanwhile, Cumley faces the real task of producing a city budget that isn't going to make anybody happy, and all of the shortcomings stir up past city failures, from municipal court embezzlement to the underfunded fire and police pension to the fact that too much general revenue is paying off bonds on projects that haven't yet produced the predicted revenue.

But we'll say this for Cumley. The man pours his heart into the job, and he and his staff have produced a budget that, while not perfect, gets the job done. The City Council should pass it tonight.

It's a balanced budget that keeps city services level, honors councilwoman Cynthia Rushefsky's request to put an additional $500,000 in the fire and police pension and tries to offer minimal raises to employees.

The real tough job facing Cumley and the council isn't this budget but the hard work that comes after it passes.

If the city is ever going to climb out of its current difficult financial plight, it's going to have to move forward quickly on downtown redevelopment projects without going further into debt. It's going to have to find a way to convince the state to come up with the $1.9 million needed to make the crime lab a reality. It's going to have to jump-start negotiations with telecommunications companies on recouping millions of dollars in back taxes. And it's going to have to say to the community quite clearly: If you want more services, such as additional police officers, how in the heck do you want to pay for it?

Rehashing old wounds — as some city critics are wont to do — won't move Springfield forward. Coming up with solutions is where the action is.

To that end, Cumley says he's asked the council members to come up with additional suggestions for budget cuts.

As of a meeting with the News-Leader editorial board last week, he hadn't received any.

What does that tell us? The budget is tight, but reasonable.

It's time for the council to pass its budget and get to work improving the city's financial situation.