Now that’s efficiency! And lacking in transparency and public accountability! Who did actually decide what made it in to the amendment packets and what didn’t?
You can watch for yourself – it takes less than 45 minutes. 22 if you watch on double speed!
In case you want to skip around, here’s the guide to the timing of agenda items of interest.
- 0:00 Getting started, explaining the process and overview.
- Operating Budget – Resolution 284 – Sub 1
- 1:44 Description of how public input will work
- 3:44 Description by staff of the changes made since the meetings last week
- 16:55 Public input and registrants
- 23:30 Discussion on the budget amendments by committee members (Zoo janitor and animal care and patting selves on the back)
- Capital Budget – Resolution 285 – Sub 1
- 29:14 Explanation of the process and motion
- 29:57 Staff explanation of amendments and changes made since last week
- 37:26 No registrations or public input
- 37:39 Discussion on the budget amendments (affordable housing)
- 38:31 Setting the Levy resolution (no discussion)
- 39:31 Ordinance amendments changing fees (no discussion)
- 43:18 Setting the next meeting and adjournment
RUSH JOB
To be clear, looks like the amendment package became available to the public around 5:30 on Monday evening. At least that is what I could determine. And they met at 5:30 on Tuesday, so there was 24 hours notice of the so called “uber amendment” that picks and chooses from the amendments presented to the Personnel and Finance committee on October 28, 29 and 30. (<- 7.5 hours of video, blogged here) The public was only allowed to speak to the amendments last week, unless there was a change. I blogged the amendments that changed here. 18 amendments changed, 2-4 were new and 7 disappeared between last week when they were presented with all their choices and this meeting where there was virtually no discussion. The Dane County Executive left the County Board Supervisors $800,000 before they hit the state imposed levy limit and they miraculously had a proposal that spent every single penny of that money.
WHO DECIDED WHAT STAYS IN, WHAT’S OUT?
So, who decided what made it in to the budget and what didn’t? The chair of the Personnel and Finance Committee said it was him, Sharon Corrigan the County Board Chair and Chuck Hicklin, the finance staff. I find it hard to believe they got the committee and all the sponsors of the amendments that change to all agree in the first try!! If this goes as it has in other years (minus last year when they approved the jail after 2 tries), the county board will rubber stamp this package next Monday with little debate on the merits of any of the amendments.
LACK OF PUBLIC DISCUSSION
Again, there was only discussion on one of the 43 amendments. The entire operating budget discussion was 5 minutes and most of it was the County Board Chair and Chair of Personnel and Finance congratulating each other. The Capital Budget discussion was about 1 minute.
MORE INFO
Abby Becker from the Cap Times has a few more details here, including the explanation about what happened between last week’s and this week’s meeting and how they got agreement on the 43 amendments.
