>>Valley Patriot>>
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Sullivan Gets State Approval for
Budget
Renders City Council Irrelevant
(08/28/07)
(video
here)
Lawrence mayor Michael
Sullivan marched into city hall Thursday night to a
packed city council chambers. Hundreds of police and
firefighters crowded the hall bearing signs that chastised the
city council for trying to cut public safety in the city.
Mayor Sullivan took to the podium after city councilor
Grisel Silva read a statement attacking the Sullivan
administration and stating that police and fire
dont need to be cut citing vaguely that other there
were other places in the budget to cut. She stood
steadfast in her recommendation to cut 3.7 million
dollars out of the city budget which would have decimated
city serves.
Sullivan then spoke at the microphone telling a shocked
and obviously dismayed city council that, after meeting
with them for more than 60 hours over the
proposed budget and given that the council did not take
effective action on the submitted FY08
spending plan, I have been in touch with the
department of revenue and they are in total agreement
that the June 3rd operating budget, which I
submitted to you is now the adopted budget for the city
of Lawrence for Fiscal Year 08. We have an opinion
form the city attorney who is also in agreement on
that, Sullivan said.
The submission of the June 3rd budget is
the spending plan that has been approved based on
insufficient action that was taken on that June 17th
rejection [of the budget]. So tonight is a good
night. Tonight, I am telling the city council we have an
operating plan, and we will work day in and day out to
make that operating plan work.
Sullivan urged the council to approve the budget and
finance director nominee he has submitted saying he needs
someone to help implement his spending plan.
So, Im here to tell
you that this meeting can be adjourned, that the budget
we have been working has been approved, and now I ask all
the hard working city employees that are behind me to
leave with me and lets all get back to work!
As Sullivan turned to leave the police and firefighters
filed out behind him leaving the council chambers nearly
empty.
Councilors Nunzio DiMarca was furious, speaking after the
mayor had left saying he disagreed with the mayor and the
Department of Revenue, listing all of the same political
charges he had at every previous meeting. DiMarca whined
on and on attacking the mayor and desperately trying to
be relevant.
Lawrence police and
firefighters said they were happy to have Mike Sullivan
as Mayor, "One thing for sure," one firefighter
said "when Mike Sullivan says he has your back, he
has your back. If these guys had their way, fire stations
would be closed, police officers would be laid off and
crime and arson in the city would go back to what it was
ten years ago."
The city council is
vowing to fight in court so they can cut the city's
operating budget by $3.7 million effectively closing one
fire station and laying off police and fire fighters.
According to a letter from the Department of Revenue (and
confirmed by city attorney Chalie Boddy), the city of
Lawrence is now operating on the original budget
submitted by Mayor Sullivan. Because the city council did
not reject each department's budget, line item by line
item, they have effectively taken no action within the
required 45 days, putting into effect Sullivan's spending
plan.
Taxes will increase approximately $197.78 for a single family home, $239.38
for a double family, $275.16 for a triple family, and
$116.63 for condos.
The Valley Patriot spoke with two officials from the
state who confirmed that the Department of Revenue's
ruling in favor of Mayor Sullivan's $42Million budget is
legally sound and will stand up to any court scrutiny.
Sources also said that conversations between Mayor
Sullivan's office and the governor's office, as well as
the Attorney General's office have been taking place
throughout the week. "The state is on board with
this," one source said. "They realize the
insanity this city council has put the mayor through just
to keep the city going day to day, and believe me when I
tell you, they know what has been going on here and they
want this over with. The city council is an embarrassment
to the city. They were really going
to lay off cops and firefighters. They were really going
to shut down our parks and leave DPW stranded. They have
no regard for anything other than getting re-elected.
Let's see how they do with this one on election
day."
*Send your questions comments to ValleyPatriot@aol.com
The August 2007 Edition
of the Valley Patriot
The Valley Patriot is a Monthly
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All Contents (C) 2007, Valley Patriot, Inc.
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