| Santa Clara County, CA | November 8, 2005 Election |
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Crticizing our successBy Jack MortonCandidate for Council Member; City of Palo Alto |
This information is provided by the candidate | |
The current campaign suggests that the City does not budget effectively and the City Manager inappropriately runs the show.Criticizing the budget and the budget process seems to be the theme of the day. But in fairness we might want to ask ourselves what are the actual facts. Unlike neighboring communities, Palo Alto has had four years of balanced budgets- budgets which both cut expenses and maintained the services that most Palo Altans value. The City manager has sole authority to develop the budget and he starts with the staff on the front line and asks them to suggest cuts. Involving staff ensures that the budget has the support of those who have to implement it. The finance Committee, on which I have been honored to chair and serve, then holds weeks of public hearings to allow community input before it goes to the full Council for final approval. Should we not ask ourselves, when was the last time that almost all neighborhood parks were upgraded? How many programs that are central to your enjoyment of our incredible community have been permanently cancelled? Yes, we may have had to turn out to support the Libraries or Children's Theater or object to fees for the Baylands and Foothill Park but also YES, in the final analysis, the process has worked for the greater benefit of the community. The City has received state wide recognition for its budget process and the quality of its financial data. We are the envy of many communities who only wish they too could balance their budgets whithout major cuts in staff and services. A second current theme of political criticism seems to be that Council is weak and the City Manager is strong. The Council's role is to set policy and the staff's role is to implement that policy. Our City Charter form of City Government does give certain key roles to the City Manager, principal among which is the responsibility to prepare the budget. My role as an elected Council Member is to review that budget and as chair or a member of the Finance Committee to seek community input and then pass the budget on to the full Council. Oversight does not have to be conducted with nastiness or headline grabbing verbal attacks. The current City Manager has been open with his considered and experienced opinions which, to my mind, is not only desirable but has been necessary to produce the many awards that the City has received for its administrative excellence. Palo Alto has been singled out for statewide awards for both our financial reporting and budget excellence. I, for my part, have not been shy in expressing my opposition to recommendations of the City Manager when, as in the case of fees for park entrance; I believe they will do more harm than good. Politicians do need to give voters reasons to elect them but shouldn't we be able to do so without unfairly criticize one of the states most respected City Managers solely on the grounds that he gives us the benefit of his considerable experience? Shouldn't we politicians rather focus on the unhappiness that many residents feel with the erosion of the character of their neighborhoods which is the result of decisions that the Council and Planning Commission are actually empowered to make. |
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ca/scl Created from information supplied by the candidate: October 3, 2005 12:31
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