Roseville City Council, Staff Debate Newest Budget Draft

The Roseville City Council on Monday night took on the daunting task of preparing its proposed budget for 2012 and 2013. 

Still weeks from having a finalized product, the council reviewed progress city staff had made. Given that this budget will have a projected overall 3.8 percent reduction, City Manager William Malinen and City Finance Director Chris Miller proposed concrete areas where programs could be trimmed from the budget.

Proposed cuts included staff reductions, program cancellations and changes in services to city residents. Most notable was suspending curbside leaf pickup in the fall; ending lake patrols; a decrease in pathway, parking and street maintenance, and eliminating a laundry list of community events including: the July 4^th celebration, Rosefest, the parade. spring celebration and all summer entertainment. The proposed cuts were not well received by most of the council.

“We’re going to take away the face of the community,” said Councilman Jeff Johnson. “I’m disappointed. This proposal kicks dirt in the face of the community, and in the face of the council.”

Johnson voiced the most dissent, though the other members were also visibly displeased.

“We are here to make sure we spend [the people’s] money they way they want it spent,” Council member Tammy McGehee urged staff.  She was concerned about the cut to pathway maintenance, stating that it was a major issue for her constituents.

Many of the problems seem to stem from the new biennial budget process. This year’s budgeting process is different from past years in that the council changed how they prepare the budget.

In order to ensure it is funding the programs with the most need and not just defaulting to the status quo, the council has implemented a priority budgeting system. This system takes surveys from community members and the council alike, and then has attempted to set priorities that, in turn, dictate how staff allocates funding in the budget.

That new process seemed to cause much of the frustration from among council members, who wondered how money was being moved and what logic was used in making cuts.

“I see here a 16 percent increase in the communications for a newsletter. The newsletter was ranked well beneath park programs in our priorities,” Councilman Bob Willmus stated. “I think we need to look at different ways of doing things.”

Some council members felt they didn't have the appropriate information to make decisions on behalf of residents.

“There’s an issue with the transparency aspect here,” Willmus said of the information the council was provided by staff. “The people need to be aware of the individual items being cut.”

Mayor Dan Roe spent the evening trying to mitigate frustration with staff and his own confusion about the budgeting process.

“This budget processes needs to be fluid” urged Roe as tensions rose in the chamber, “This is the first time we’ve attempted changes to the budget process to this degree.”