FOR
WHAT IT'S WORTH.....
"It's
your money......"
We’re
just two days away from the start of the
City of Lincolnton budget process for
fiscal year 2009-2010.
In late 2008, it seemed like the city was
in good financial shape.
After city manager Jeff Emory asked his
department heads to cut five percent out
of their budgets, the city gets a glowing
financial report.
And while city employees only got a cost
of living raise at about 2.5 percent (at
best), Mr. Emory walks away with
thousands and thousands of dollars in a
major raise and bonus, plus a Christmas
bonus, a huge car allowance and insurance
premiums for himself and his children.
Then suddenly, in January, the city is
“financially hurting,” where
Mr. Emory talks about the possibility of
raising fees, raising taxes and cutting
services.
In a few short months, city leaders say
we’ve gone from being financially
sound to being in dire straits.
As a citizen and taxpayer, I’m just
not buying it.
While city employees continue to receive
next to nothing, and in some cases
nothing, Mr. Emory is sitting in his
“Ivory Tower” with a continual
mounting pile of money.
What about the city employees?
That’s where the citizens – the
taxpayers that Mr. Emory and all city
officials work for – come in.
The budget workshops are starting between
8:30am and 9am this Friday and Saturday.
The Sunday session starts after church,
probably around 1pm or 2pm. Funny thing,
I can’t get a straight answer on the
time from the city manager’s office.
Could it be because I’ve told the
truth six previous times?
We need to fill the chairs of Lincolnton
City Hall on Friday and Saturday to show
city leaders that first, giving Mr. Emory
the key to the “money vault”
was a big mistake.
Second, we need to show up in force to
support the city employees that
can’t be there because they will be
working during the day. (They’re
also afraid for retribution from Mr.
Emory himself if they show any interest
in the process.)
Finally, we need to pack city hall to
show city leaders that we’re not
complacent, that we care about what city
hall is doing with our hard-earned money.
If there’s not a big showing, city
leaders will get the impression that we,
as a citizenry, don’t care about
what’s going on with the city.
It also means that I have to write an
editorial talking about apathy among city
residents.
I’m personally outraged at the
gratuitous way Mr. Emory’s raise and
bonus was approved – the timing
absolutely stinks – and how city
employees have nothing.
“What do you say to the garbage
collector who has to get out of his truck
in all kinds of weather, or the police
officer and firefighter who puts his/her
life on the line everyday, without
thought of their own safety,” I
asked Mayor David Black one day.
I’m still waiting for an answer.
Let’s show city hall that we want
them to be responsible with our tax
money. Otherwise, we’ll be paying
out the nose the next fiscal year.
Show up in force Friday through Sunday.
Show up because we care.
Show up because it’s the right thing
to do.
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