July Mayor's Bulletin response

Since I was called out indirectly in the Mayor's Bulletin (I'm the "Half Empty" Guy), I figured I would respond here.

As metaphors, go, a Budget is actually a bathtub, not a glass.  There's water (revenue) pouring in, and water (expenses) draining out.  The height of the bathwater is the balance.  Balance (height) matters less (within reason).  What matters is if the water is lowering or raising.  And our water level is dropping fast.  Here's what the data on sheet 1 of the mayor's bulletin says:

Council and Dan have done lots and lots of good work to reduce the expenses, or reduce the amount of water out of the drain.  This great and helpful, and frankly necessary.  However, even with all the good work, we are still draining the bathtub due to State budget cuts/elimination:  expenses exceed revenue.  EXPENSES EXCEED REVENUE, to the tune of $160,000 next year, or $13,000 each month.  This can't continue.

Further, this a systemic loss of revenue, not just a few years of low income tax returns, a temporary pain.  We won't see this money again.  It won't come back.  We will never again fill the bathtub as fast, unless we raise taxes.  While it was minimized in the Minutes, the Mayor suggested a tax levy may be needed after 2014.  This is a big deal, and I don't agree to this course of action.

Can we pay this bills this year and next and 2014 and 2015, yes.  But are we running deficits?  Yes.  And can we allow that to continue?  No.  Celebrating that it's not as dire as last year is fine, but it distracts us from the real need - fixing the issue.  More work is needed.

Cortney