The city finally posted the background material for item 11.2 on the March 25, 2014 city council agenda.
They need to cut $7.35 million from the budget because revenues are coming in less than they budgeted at the beginning of the year.
For now they have decided to cut $5.86 million and say that they will control the rest either “through hiring freeze or other operational controls” according to a presentation made by our chief financial officer earlier as part of item 11.1.
The problem?
Sales taxes revenues are turning out to be 3.02% less than they budgeted. Franchise fees are coming in at 3.94% less than budget.
Fines and forfeitures are short by 23.46%. Is that why we see so many traffic and parking tickets being issued lately?
Residential building permits are an unfortunate 28.54% short. So much for growth.
It’s all good El Paso
Who’s getting cut? The police department is losing $1.24 million. The fire department will lose $486 thousand. They are also removing all capital funding for vehicle replacement.
Not everyone is getting axed. Our city attorney’s office is going from a council approved budget of $3.97 million to $4.8 million. Most of that money is for outside lawyers. Suing the attorney general of Texas to keep us from seeing records that should be open is evidently expensive.
To quote the city manager from a letter she wrote a few weeks ago, “A (valuation) variance of this nature is egregious and on the surface seems either irresponsible or incompetent…”.
I agree.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
Well, this is from the people who gave us the stadium business case. What happens when the HOT doesn’t service the bonds? Do we close libraries, parks, museums? THE political question for the 2015 election will be how to isolate the city financially from the stadium bankruptcy.
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New ballpark. Big video wall for downtown. More downtown bars. Less fire and police resources and services. No children’s museum. That’s the “quality of life” I want.
P.S. – If people think going to the movie theater is expensive these days, wait until they take a family of four to the new ballpark.
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Quality of life costs MONEY…Healthcare is Free…..?…
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Notice what’s missing? Cuts from social programs and raising taxes on downtown buildings. Tax abatements downtown are stupid. People won’t fix most buildings unless forced to so they let them fall apart. Tax them at normal rates UNLESS they fix them up. The children’s museum, the digital wall at the history museum, and many other projects were voted on by the citizens and passed. That money is NOT part of the city operating budget.
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