Yup – it’s city budget time . . . and it’s gonna be a mess this year!!
Tomorrow night at the Downtown Public Library (201 W Mifflin St.) at 6:00 the Mayor will be having a public hearing on what his budget should look like. In order to assist people in determining what they should testify about, I have posted the department requests here. And soon, I will have the “supplemental” requests available as well.
Meantime, I think we are going to have a huge struggle over the definition of “basic services” and “economic development”. In many ways, we are going to have a battle for the soul of our City. Are we going to be a City where we give police resources to arrest people and toss them in jail, or a City where we invest in our future through neighborhood centers and childcare programs to prevent the need for police resources. And how to we find the right balance?
And, are we going to be a City where when we talk about “economic development” we talk about biotechnology and high tech jobs at the University Research Park, or are we going to talk about having a bus system that can support people working 2nd and 3rd shift? And again, does it have to be one or the other and can we strike a balance?
Finally, I have to ask, are we going to continue to give millions of dollars in TIF to developers and not require that they build housing that more than the top 15% of the wealthiest people in Madison can live in? Are we going to get serious about affordable housing and put some money into some programs, or are we going to continue to talk about what is wrong with the programs that were developed because of the reluctance of the council to invest in affordable housing?
It’s going to be an interesting budget. The time to get involved is now. I hope to see you at the public library tomorrow night. If you can’t make it, you may want to try to attend one of the Mayor’s “Build your own budget” sessions. I know there are many conflicts with the meetings that have been scheduled, but if you can make it, it’s worth your time!
