No Quorum
There was not a quorum for the Special Meeting of the City Council on Friday. Oscar Martinez, Mary Williams and Lupe Devine were present along with the mayor and administrator. Lorina Chavez and Leo Salgado were not present. No meeting was held. No action was taken on the budgets or taxes.
We enter the new year with the same budget we had from 05-06, flawed as it is. Council can now amend that budget for 06-07. Taxes will remain at the effective rate. This is the rate that brings in the same amount of money as last year without the effect of new properties. The new properties on the tax roll should bring in a little more money than last year. The next meeting is October 10th.
This is sad. Nobody is happy about this melt down of city government. There is more to the story that will come out over time. It will not do any good to point fingers for the failure to meet tonight. It was a risky move. Council has met for only two-thirds of their meetings this year. There is no backup date for this meeting. Time is out. The year is over. Two years in a row we have failed to prepare a budget in time and raise taxes as needed. The city and the employees will have a tougher time this year.
The budget cannot be done in a week. Before tonight, there had been only one discussion of the budget items. Last night's public hearing did not have a discussion of the budget, just some comments from citizens. The budget process takes three or four months, not three or four days.
It is time to take a deep breath and figure out how to work together for the good of the city. Ms. Chavez's resignation letter discussed her frustration with trying to work with the administration for the betterment of Marfa. This is a wake up call to the entire city. Things need to be done differently.
The world will not stop. The budget will get fixed. We will have maybe one or two percent less money to work with this year. Money is not the problem. The problem is how we conduct the business of running the city.
Go Shorthorns!
We enter the new year with the same budget we had from 05-06, flawed as it is. Council can now amend that budget for 06-07. Taxes will remain at the effective rate. This is the rate that brings in the same amount of money as last year without the effect of new properties. The new properties on the tax roll should bring in a little more money than last year. The next meeting is October 10th.
This is sad. Nobody is happy about this melt down of city government. There is more to the story that will come out over time. It will not do any good to point fingers for the failure to meet tonight. It was a risky move. Council has met for only two-thirds of their meetings this year. There is no backup date for this meeting. Time is out. The year is over. Two years in a row we have failed to prepare a budget in time and raise taxes as needed. The city and the employees will have a tougher time this year.
The budget cannot be done in a week. Before tonight, there had been only one discussion of the budget items. Last night's public hearing did not have a discussion of the budget, just some comments from citizens. The budget process takes three or four months, not three or four days.
It is time to take a deep breath and figure out how to work together for the good of the city. Ms. Chavez's resignation letter discussed her frustration with trying to work with the administration for the betterment of Marfa. This is a wake up call to the entire city. Things need to be done differently.
The world will not stop. The budget will get fixed. We will have maybe one or two percent less money to work with this year. Money is not the problem. The problem is how we conduct the business of running the city.
Go Shorthorns!
posted by RobC at 5:35 PM
5 Comments:
Our thanks to you Rob for bringing all this in the open. I am sure you were at times as frustrated as Ms Chavez and many more of us. Thank also to Mr. Doss that managed to control his temper at times that was so easy to "blow up" as our Hon. Mayor does when things are not done as he wants or things don't go his ways. Alot should be learned from this long trying time. It seems to go back to 2 councilmen black balling the Mayor take office way back when............now he has joined their camp and enjoys it thinking he is the power. I just wonder what else is in store for the City of Marfa until May elections. God Bless America for the rights we have!!!!!!!!!! and for those that defend so that we may have the rights!!!!
I find this situation to be truely amazing! Through the mirror and down the rabbit hole...
I don't understand. The proposed 2007 budget was not approved, so now it is going to be amended? This means that the crooked figures from the proposed 2006 amendment inflated even more will be approved as an amendment???
Most of the citizens of Marfa are not aware of this heroic effort to put a stop to chicanery at City Hall. My thanks to my good friends, "the lunatic fringe" (as Flo and the Mayor scoff away) and all other contributors by the faithful for all the hard work.
Our job here is not done. How will Lorina's vacancy be filled? The City Council is supposed to do it, and the Mayor is not even supposed to vote on the appointment but he has already got a replacement lined up.
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