City Council to combine borrowed money and cuts to bridge budge...

Try cutting top level salaries. Start with the city manager's salary. Again, our city council fails to come up with means to produce revenue for this city.

The person that really got my vote today at the speacil meeting was council member Pete Aguliar since he supported The programs that the recreation senior center and the libary since those are major things that the city thrives for in this bad econmic time and the person that also got my vote from the counicl meetings was Mayor Jon Harrison for the same reason. But the Person that Will never get my Vote is Mayor Pro Tem Pat Gilbreath since she is a horrible politican and hope she doesnt win for the represenative job since she will make horrible decsions for the State of California.

This is the info that I got from the article that I wanna share with you guys with facts and a quote from Pete aguilar The MVP for tonights Meeting:

Deep cuts to many city departments, including $279,228 from senior services,$772,020 from the Police Department's Recreation Division and $500,000 from the A. K. Smiley Public Library's budget were included in the options.

"I won't tolerate the cuts to these programs - the senior center, recreation, the library, or parks," said Councilman Pete Aguilar. "I'm saying it because it's what I value as a community member, and I think it's what a lot of people value within this community.

"It's what makes this community so special."

Gilbreath has a good advisor. Actually against borrow. She is saying all the right things but I do not believe her. Is is just me or is Aguilar in way over his head? Bean is the man!!!

After attending the meeting last night, it was very clear to me why the City is in such horrible shape- no one can make a decision on anything.

I got sick of all the whining from the Library & IT.For Pete's sake, the proposal called for the complete closing of both senior centers and eliminate Recreation.

Meanwhile back at the Library, the were bitching about losing staff, their computer crap, blah, blah. Hey, try closing on Sunday nimrods!

The IT guy was the same, blah, blah, blah.

The bright note was Pete Aguilar. Thank you Pete for supporting Recreation and Senior Services, and thank you Mayor for voting no on the cuts.

The other council members (maybe not Bean) are useless and need to be off the CC.

Just my 2 cents worth.

"Borrowing from the Reserve Fund" is a concept that is obviously part of the 'Martinez Effect' on this Council. Budgeting from the reserves is not considered borrowing, just like with the JPA, the money-grab is not really leasing the utilities (we already own them!) What happened to the Bean proposal suggesting additional furloughs or freezing scheduled merit increases for the employees? Martinez and his two clowns Filarsky and DWI-DSL on the negotiating team have obviously not been negotiating "in good faith" with the employees groups in order for the Bean proposals not to be "no brainers" for the Council. The Council majority a.k.a. THE THREE AMIGOS will all have egg on their faces if Martinez's slash and burn tactics are allowed to continue, and he decimates departments and programs, as proposed.

Simply put there has to be cuts. Its petty political grandstanding to fight for this or that when there absolutely needs to be cuts. Make the cuts and move on. Don't borrow against tomorrow or draw down your reserve to nothing.

It was painfully obvious that no one wanted to make a decision last night. But, this has been going on for years, long before the current council. I agree completely with Bill Hardy and the library's position. Much like the history of Redlands it is "borrowing from Peter to pay Paul" on the matter of the library/IT employee. They were capable of running their own IT before, and they can do it again. Let Hexam figure a way to cover the other base. Keeping the library employee where she belongs, and the library not having to fork over a ton of money, serves library patrons. And let's face it, Redlands' only library needs to be kept operational for the good of the community, just as the senior and recreation programs need to function to balance out the community. The ridiculously high salaries of the department heads and yes, Mr. Martinez' windfall profit need to be pared down to reality. Don't ask the rank and file to add furlough days, and for once belly up to the bar and quit whining. And no, I am not now or have been a city employee. Just an observer not wanting to see the community as damaged goods.

I distinctly heard it come out of Hexam's mouth the night prior, they want to: Borrow from Peter (the library, senior and rec. programs) to pay Paul (ESRI for new IT systems). Don't quote me on that one though, because that situation is a little too "conflicted" with the mayor and what not and everything, you know. I did see him try and put his hands up to his ears and start muttering "Blaa, blaa, blaa..." so as to pretend he wasn't hearing anything about IT, I mean ESRI.

How about we cut Carl Baker's position. Is he really that important to the City. They seemed to do fine before he arrived.

Get rid of the self centered, no good, bandit city manager for starters.

Saveover $200,000 by cutting the City Manager.

Doc How many peeps were their yesterday? if you seen what the Chief was talking about since i messed it?

What about making some changes to the health insurance plan. Higher deductibles and co pays.

Happy This time wrote:

The person that really got my vote today at the speacil meeting was council member Pete Aguliar since he supported The programs that the recreation senior center and the libary since those are major things that the city thrives for in this bad econmic time and the person that also got my vote from the counicl meetings was Mayor Jon Harrison for the same reason. But the Person that Will never get my Vote is Mayor Pro Tem Pat Gilbreath since she is a horrible politican and hope she doesnt win for the represenative job since she will make horrible decsions for the State of California.
This is the info that I got from the article that I wanna share with you guys with facts and a quote from Pete aguilar The MVP for tonights Meeting:
Deep cuts to many city departments, including $279,228 from senior services,$772,020 from the Police Department's Recreation Division and $500,000 from the A. K. Smiley Public Library's budget were included in the options.
"I won't tolerate the cuts to these programs - the senior center, recreation, the library, or parks," said Councilman Pete Aguilar. "I'm saying it because it's what I value as a community member, and I think it's what a lot of people value within this community.
"It's what makes this community so special."

If you look back a couple of years you'll see that it was Aguilar and Harrison who refused to take meaningful looks at the budget in realistic terms. The two of them oversaw the Blue Ribbon Committee and cheered on all sorts of silliness that cost time and money. Now they want to backtrack.

Bean and Gallagher are the only councilmembers who have balanced a budget in the private sector.

Aguilar and Harrison are gadflies.

I am DN wrote:

Try cutting top level salaries. Start with the city manager's salary. Again, our city council fails to come up with means to produce revenue for this city.

Since Police Chief Bueermann's total compensation package appears to be between $400,000 and $500,000 per year, should the cuts begin with him?

Thats pretty funny wrote:

<quoted text>
Since Police Chief Bueermann's total compensation package appears to be between $400,000 and $500,000 per year, should the cuts begin with him?

I agree with you and DN cut him. As DN has stated the streets and not safe after 9PM

Liar.

el Gaupo wrote:

<quoted text>I agree with you and DN cut him. As DN has stated the streets and not safe after 9PM

I did witness that too. It was pathetic. That's why I call the blue ribbon committee the "black" ribbon committee.

Thats pretty funny wrote:

<quoted text>
If you look back a couple of years you'll see that it was Aguilar and Harrison who refused to take meaningful looks at the budget in realistic terms. The two of them oversaw the Blue Ribbon Committee and cheered on all sorts of silliness that cost time and money. Now they want to backtrack.
Bean and Gallagher are the only councilmembers who have balanced a budget in the private sector.
Aguilar and Harrison are gadflies.

We know what the salaries are for all of rank and file ee's all the way up to the President of the Unitied States. I would love to see the salaries of all dept. heads and managers published. I think it would be eye opening.

The City responded to a public records request for that information recently (employee salaries and benefits amounts), so it should be available to anyone, for a copying fee, including the RDF/ SBS (JG, why don't you give the people what they want??)