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It figures, the most interesting Quincy City Council meeting of the first year of QuincyNews.org (notice I didn't say post-meeting) and I have to miss it.

But I was where I needed to be and wanted to be. Our oldest son (notice I didn't say "my oldest son"...shooting for some brownie points with my DSW), Alex, went through his confirmation last night at St. Peter. Bishop George Lucas was on hand. No sign of Steven Spielberg, although he's made appearances in Quincy as well.

Methinks this will not be the last contentious City Council meeting when the two new Republicans are sworn in next Monday. At least they will read the budget. I'm betting at least one of the Democrats who voted for it last night didn't bother reading on what they voted on. Probably the same who didn't bother attending several meetings after he got beat on April 7. I'm sure the only reason he showed up last night was to be the much-needed rubber stamp.

Looked like a ramrod job last night to get the budget through. By the way, from Robert's Rules of Order: A Main or Principal Motion is a motion made to bring before the assembly, for its consideration, any particular subject. It takes precedence of nothing -- that is, it cannot be made when any other question is before the assembly; and it yields to all Privileged, Incidental, and Subsidiary Motions -- that is, any of these motions can be made while a main motion is pending.

The city/Dems had the votes anyway, but how about following the rules?

I hope someone decides to bring up some of the budget items on a line-by-line basis for a vote. I'm betting a couple of those salaries will end up getting frozen.

Here's the bottom line: The city budget was in the neighborhood of $20 million 10 years ago. Now it's more than $31 million. That is massive growth.

Look what the School District has had to do over the last two years: Nearly $5 million in cuts, including closing a school, freezing administrative salaries this year and laying off nearly 100 employees over the last two years. I'm not saying that is the optimum solution, but there has to be some recognition of a need to cut back and city government has failed in that regard.

I do have to give some kudos to The Herald-Whig for illustrating the salary increases by department heads over the last 10 years. Here it is if you missed it, courtesy of the The Whig:

And here's what the mayor told The Whig's Eddie Husar after Monday's vote: "It's a shame that it had to come down to a partisan issue," he said. "That was their motive - to stop the progress here. We worked too long on this budget. It's a realistic budget. Let's give credit to the city's personnel for doing a good job."

So let me get this straight...progress equates to giving raises to public employees? Really? That's what progress comes down to? Making sure they get theirs? Unbelievable.

Mhoram
Posts: 1

How do the rest of us compare?
Reply #3 on : Wed April 29, 2009, 11:39:56

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Since, as Barbie says, math is hard, I graphed these salaries (the ones that had all three values) on my blog (http://aaron.baugher.biz/blog/2009/04/29/did-we-do-that/), along with the median personal income for Adams County. Pretty striking.

So, if someone worked a long time on something, we have an obligation to vote for it no matter what's in it, and trying to slow it down is anti-progress and partisan? Noted.

Dave Victor
Posts: 1

Staff needs a refresher course too
Reply #2 on : Tue April 28, 2009, 16:28:54

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Parliamentary procedure allows for a substitute motion to be made even though there is a motion and a second on the floor. Jennifer should have
presented her motion as a substitute motion. I don't know how it was interpreted by Staff.

Survey1215
Posts: 1

Time to study up
Reply #1 on : Tue April 28, 2009, 16:12:48

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It would appear that Alderperson Lepper should study up on parliamentary procedure; she should have known to not ask to change the budget after a motion to pass said budget had already been made.

Spring is reconciling this with himself by promising he'll give the extra money in his next few checks to the QND fundraiser. Or a new mustache comb.

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