- Welcome
- "Public Hearing" Discussion on the 2014 Tax Rate.
- "Public Hearing" Budget for Fiscal Year 2014-2015
- Adjournment
Fortunately, my fellow San Benist was prepared, otherwise, I might have felt compelled to say something and that would probably not have been pretty. He referred to an endeavor to find $30k to take out of the discretionary (un-allocated) budget to pay for raises for the city hourly employees. I'm afraid his endeavors, which I wholeheartedly endorse, might have come off a bit grinchy (if there were anyone but me and 2 commissioners and the mayor to hear what he had to say) as his focus was on what is unquestionably a very generous public relations department budget for Christmas decorations.
I think I would prefer to hear why a city that is struggling with infrastructure problems, and crime, and unemployment, and poverty needs a Public Relations Department at all. Maybe we do, but maybe we don't. I think a budget item, something that the city will spend (public) money to provide, support, and otherwise procure, needs to serve one or both of two purposes:
- Either it is something that the public wants, or
- It is something that will (probably) cause revenues to increase,
or both. I can't imagine that the good citizens of San Benito have clamored for a Public Relations Department. Perhaps we do indeed want some things that are provided in the current organization by that department. I don't know. On the other hand, there is definitely no evidence to support the notion that the activities of the San Benitio Public Relations Department have generated any revenue at all.
Alas, such things were not heard at the Public Hearing.
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