Great D&C editorial on important local issue
The Republican-dominated County Legislature is planning a vote Tuesday that would move the date they submit their budget each year until after the elections in November. You read that right. They don’t voters to have a look at the mess they’ve made until after they’ve voted. To find out what you can do to help stop this, visit CitizensForOpenGovernment.org.
I’ll let the D&C take it from here:
The flaw in this idea should be as clear as the $102 million deficit the county could face over the next two years.
A later budget submission reduces the ability of the public and affected agencies — those that rely on county funding — to comment on what’s proposed. It squeezes the time the legislature has to review the plan, consider the concerns and objections of the public and, if necessary, to amend the budget. It limits the ability of County Executive Maggie Brooks to negotiate changes with lawmakers, to debate alterations — in short, to come up with the best budget taxpayers’ money can buy.
(snip)
…one makes the political calculation. Putting off submission until Nov. 15 takes the budget — the primary task of the legislature each year — out of the campaign mix. Majority Republican incumbents wouldn’t have to defend a GOP county executive’s proposal. Democrats wouldn’t be handed a convenient campaign cudgel.
Well said.
Outrageous. Why do Republicans hate accountability so much?
Say, that website has a handy link: the Monroe County sponsored page where you can find out who all your local, county, state, and federal elected officials are. And there’s even a link to get a voter reg application (hi, stlo7!). Pretty slick.
[...] September, 2006: The Republican-dominated County Legislature votes to move the date they submit their budget each [...]