Budgets

UPDATE: Public Budget Hearing Has Been Postponed From Thursday August 25 Until Tuesday August 30.

Tuesday, August 30, the city will hold a rescheduled public hearing on the proposed budget for 2012. The meeting will be at City Hall at 7 PM. Link to Budget Workshop.

The current proposal is to maintain the millage rate at 4.772, last year's tax rate which was up from 4.227 in 2010. We are going to see our debt millage double from .5 to 1.2 for 2012. So our total millage will go from 5.27 to 5.97, a 13% increase.

That's hefty. There's been little attempt to cut back. out of a total of $3,595,451 in 2011, the police department has only been able to find $159,887 dollars in savings.

The legal department, largely as a result of the number of lawsuits filed by the police, rises from $200,000 to $390,000

So the net change in these, our two most controllable expenses is an additional $30,000.

Those few cuts realized seem to come mostly from services we actually find useful, like street maintenance, which will be cut. The budget looks something like this:

Operating Budget	2011	2012	Difference
COMMISSION	$69,273	$65,221	-$4,052	-5.85%
CITYMGR	$114,863	$161,727	$46,864	40.80%
CITYCLK	$185,028	$150,387	-$34,641	-18.72%
FINANCE	$127,915	$126,599	-$1,316	-1.03%
LEGAL	$200,000	$390,000	$190,000	95.00%
GENERALGOV'T.	$842,447	$835,215	-$7,232	-0.86%
POLICE	$3,755,338	$3,595,451	-$159,887	-4.26%
PARKS&REC.	$36,193	$36,193	$0	0.00%
BUILDING	$142,700	$163,087	$20,387	14.29%
STREETMAINT.	$501,993	$329,175	-$172,818	-34.43%
TOTAL	$5,975,750	$5,853,055	-$122,695	-2.05%

You can see that the total savings are only 2% overall. Special note: In the original, the After School Program was included as a city expenditure. It's not. NBV is administering the grant but the money is not coming from general revenue and so should not categorized as an operating expense.

What I hope we will see Thursday night is Revenue Forecasts. Seeing just the cost side and making decisions based on that is as foolish as just looking at expenses in your personal life. let's see what Thursday night looks like.

Kevin Vericker

August 23, 2011

The Creepy Little Trolls Are At It Again

Remember last summer with the "anonymous" e-mailings and the USPS mail fraud? It's back.

Inboxes throughout North Bay Village are being filled with dyslexic missives from "Pepe Jueves". Today's was about a "civics lesson" for the students at Treasure Isle(sic)School. Seriously, "Treasure Isle"? Why Pepe, do you even live in North Bay Village? Really, you do?

And in an old favorite federal crime, mail fraud, commissioners are receiving unsigned letters with fraudulent return addresses. You see, the US Federal code prohibits false return addresses. But the law doesn't matter to these people. Money does.

So if you see something from Pepe Jueves, either trash it, or if you feel like it, how about writing back asking Miss Jueves to reveal her fine self and show some respect for the recipients of this drivel.

But actually, just trash it. It's where it belongs.

Kevin Vericker
August 20, 2011

The Rains of August

The August rainstorms are on on us. The dark clouds roll in every day about this time and make the "Sunshine State" seem like an ironic comment rather than a description.

In keeping with Mother Nature's suspension of sunshine in August, our own twin commission members, Connie and Eddie Lim Kreps, fresh from their city paid vacation in Orlando, have found time in their August diaries to meet, only not with the public.

While the city is struggling with the budget, looking for a new city manager, unable to rein in the growing costs of the police department, the two were unwilling to attend any public commission meetings.

Tomorrow however, they were able to find time in their busy social diaries to attend a closed door executive session, presumably about the various lawsuits facing the city. The thing about an executive session is that you and I are not allowed to be there and their records are released much later.

Dr. Vogel remains off the commission due to illness and I am certain the twins are trying to avoid any public meetings where they might have to vote.

In the meantime, watch for the 2012 budget to come out with a token cut in police budget (actually a transfer to legal services.) No word on when or if there will be public budget hearings in August.

It's time to turn off the dark, twins. Come out into the light. Show yourselves.

Kevin Vericker
August 17, 2011

Weather Report From Orlando - Predictable Lack of Sunshine

Yesterday, our twin commissioners Connie and Eddie Lim Kreps flew up to Orlando a full 26 hours before the start of the Florida League of Cities lobbyist extravaganza. Since it's not their money sponsoring their vacation, they chose to fly rather than drive, which would have been difficult since Connie Lim Kreps had her license suspended in June.

Eddie was probably disappointed that they went in a big commercial jet instead of Connie's Harry Potter Nimbus 2000 he got her for Christmas. But they had to since the broomstick has very limited luggage capacity and they both required Tuesday night off from the commission meeting to pack. That's why it was cancelled.

The twins need to relax after a hard year of missing three meetings out of twelve each. It's a shame the weather isn't a little better in the happiest place on earth. Florida in August is hot and muggy to begin with and add in the lack of sunshine as the twins chat about their plans, you've got a really gloomy place in Orlando.

Bonus question - where is Bob Daniels, former North Bay Village chief this week? He's not on vacation. His out of office reply states that he is out of town from yesterday through next week. Anyone in Orlando spotted him?

Kevin Vericker
August 11, 2011

Social Notes: The Vogels and the Lim Kreps Vacation Together

After an exhausting eight months in office, twin commissioners Connie and Eddie Lim Kreps are off to a little romantic getaway this week in Orlando. I believe I speak for all of us when I say that the North Bay Village taxpayers are happy to pay for their jaunt. After all, they have been putting in as much as four hours per month and only missed three meetings each. A nice rest will do them good.

The happy young couple fly off Wednesday at 10:45 AM. It's a working vacation though since Florida's largest gathering of lobbyists least influential professional group, The League of Cities, meets starting on Thursday at 1 PM. So getting there a full 24 hours before will have the twins nice and relaxed to attend the numerous events put on by private companies hoping to get their fair share of our tax dollars.

When asked if they were concerned about the public perception that taking a junket at this point when the city is broke and there is no movement on the budget, Connie Lim Kreps hissed and turned into a cat while Eddie talked about how the other commissioners are not that cool, really.

I hate to be the one to spoil the surprise but guess what? Dr. and Mrs. Vogel are also planning to go! Last week, the city cut checks for their registration and hotels, so I imagine they are feeling better. Just remember, Eddie and Connie, act surprised when you see them, okay? But not too surprised. You don't want to startle them.

Unfortunately, this means that the regular commission meeting is canceled tomorrow so the group can pack. But as Eddie Lim Kreps said, "It's not like we do anything anyway. That's why we gave the city to Bob Daniels." Local civic watchdog group, the CFD, put out a statement saying, "LOOK OVER THERE!!!! LOOK OVER THERE!!!!" and giggled in high pitched tones.

Bon voyage, commishes, and have fun in the happiest place on earth.

Kevin Vericker
August 8, 2011

It Just Got Worse

Yesterday we found out that Lim Kreps are not available for Tuesday night, so the budget goes unaddressed, the city manager recruitment is postponed, etc.

But they have plenty of time to go off to Orlando on our money to spend four days at a 2 day conference. That's right. They are flying up on Wednesday for a Florida League of Cities gathering of the lobbyists. But the meeting doesn't start until Thursday at noon. I guess they need the "just us" time.

The cost is $355 to register, $396 for four nights in the hotel, I don't have the airfare and let's assume a per diem of $224 ($56 daily is the Fed rate)

But here's the oddest part. Dr. Vogel's registration and hotel have been paid, so I guess he's feeling better.

Esquijarosa and Rodriguez are not going - they prefer to pay for their own vacations.

Neither Lim Kreps nor Dr. Vogel could find time to have a commission meeting as we enter our second year of fiscal crisis.

Nice move. I hope one or another of the sessions you are attending will include the importance of actually being on the commission.

Kevin Vericker
August 4, 2011

Eddie Lim and Connie Kreps Walk Away From the Commission

The regular commission meeting, scheduled for August 9, has been canceled. Dr. Vogel's health will not allow him to attend, and the twin commissioners Lim Kreps found themselves suddenly unavailable.

This has to stop. This is the third time this year that Lim Kreps have been unavailable for meetings without explanation. But we know the explanation. Dr. Vogel is not there to vote reliably on whatever issue the twins have decided.

In a democracy, governance is not about power. It is about the difficult and noisy process of finding the best outcome for the people represented, using the best judgment of the legislators and often making some very unattractive compromises.

I'm in Washington DC as I write this and possibly the worst deal since the Missouri Compromise has just passed Congress. Nobody likes the debt ceiling deal, including the reps who voted for it. But they stuck to it and fought it out and are trying to make the best of it. That's what governance is.

The North Bay Village issues, which are never discussed, are pretty straightforward:

Is a tax hike feasible? Two commissioners say No, two may be saying Yes.

Is the city well run under the current management? We know that two say Yes and that two have indicated No.

Are the commission meetings and the constant disruptions productive? Two yes, two no.

Your answer to the above may be mixed or firmly on one side or the other, but if the commission won't even meet to try to work these things out, we're in deep trouble.

And that's exactly what's happened. The going got tough for Lim Kreps and instead of honoring their promises to us and working to a resolution, they are bunking off.

Anyone else notice that the "Citizens for Full Disclosure" have not helpfully forwarded a message announcing the cancellation? They will now that I've mentioned it, but like the twin commissioners Lim Kreps, they'd rather not.

But the twins are conducting city business this week. We are paying for them to attend a lobbyist extravaganza in Orlando. A full two days of the League of Cities and the many social events organized by lobbyists. For this boondoggle they are taking their time and our money.

Why not use the new website to contact them? Click here. Ask them all why they will not be there August 9?

Kevin Vericker
August 3, 2011