With the economy in turmoil, Mayor Art Ward told department heads "there are no limits to the conservation methods that we're going to have to employ" to keep spending down.
Every city supervisor is under orders to tell the mayor 10 things in this year's spending plan that could be axed if necessary.
"People have to cut back and so does government," Ward said.
Finance Chairman Rich Miecznikowski said,"We have to freeze, really, almost everything."
Both Ward and Miecznikowski said that capital projects -- including the school plan, the rest of Rockwell Park's renovation and much more -- may to wait for better times.
Miecznikowski said the city can pursue "only the bare necessities of what's needed."
"The situation today is that we don't have a lot of choices anymore," Ward said.
He said the "total impact" of the financial meltdown is only beginning to be felt and that every day is bringing to light more problems that have to be dealt with.
Ward said that concern "is only growing deeper and deeper" as the magnitude of the crisis becomes clearer.
The mayor said that everybody needs to recognize that "all of us" are in the same boat and that sacrifices must be shared in order "to deal with it responsibly."
"I will call for actions that were never contemplated before," Ward said, without specifying what might be on the table.
Ward said that discussions about the school project are continuing as officials try to assess the impact of the bonding problems and the state's own fiscal woes, which could torpedo the plan even if Bristol can come up with its share of the money.
"We all recognize the need for the schools, but the decision's going to come down to the ability fo the taxpayer to pay," Ward said.
At this point, he said, there's not enough information to make a firm decision one way or another.
"Anything and everything is subject to reconsideration," Ward added. "You can't solidify anything."
Miecznikowski said he's "never seen anything like this in all my years" and can't predict what might be required of city government.
But, he said, there's no doubt that next year's budget can't go up more than minimally and "everyone will have to bite the bullet" to pull through these hard times.
"It's going to be tough for everyone," Miecznikowski said.
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
24 comments:
So lets give this a try and improve the schools we have right now and see how that works before we go out and spend 130 million..Now is the perfect opportunity to do that.
Gee why?
We don't even need a police force anymore, we have Arty and his one man party.
Good thinking.
BREAKING NEWS: You should of hit the breaks a long time ago Arty !
He was given a heads up a long time ago: why so long in doing anything??
Great idea on Mayor Wards part to be pre-emptive in cost savings as opposed to being reactionary when its too late. But I would really like to know in detail, what the various departments returned to the City coffers July 1st? Steve you should be able to FOI this information and get an answer. We can then buil on that...
I know for a fact that some people have offered to work with the mayor, people that have been involved, to help in these trying times and he has not taken them up on the offer.
Not secure enough I guess.
11:10am - seems to me that ward is working fine with many people, just not the ones who you might have picked - also seems that you aren't secure enough to provide us with any bonafied names either?
Lets see what Ward gives the Unions who are now in talks!!
If he is working well, where are the cost reduction, savings, etc etc?????
It's a bad time financially to be giving the unions anything. The unions know that. But they won't give an inch until the tumbleweeds are rolling through the city hall parking lot like they do at New Departure. Then they'll blame every Republican mayor, and never look in the mirror.
No, lets see if he takes away anything!!!
Or gets something extra.
Ward and Mize,,, the blind leading the blind, and being led by Klocko.
As usual, Mayor Ward is a day late and a dollar short.
Based on information given to him, he should have been doing much more, much sooner.
And the citizens are the ones that will experience the pain.
7:09 - The citizens are going to experience pain no matter what and there's not a damn thing that Ward or anyone else can about it. Your comment is pointless. Why don't you sharpen your ratty little claws somewhere else?
Ward and the city could have done something a lot sooner.
That would have spread the pain a little.
7:09 - more than likely ward wasn;t privy to the fact that jerks such as you can only deal with their personal animosities rather than what will help us all through this hard time - are you able to think of anything positive, loser?
All he had to do was read the papers!
....and if you read the paper, you'd understand that the entire country is having an economic crisis. I'm not sure exactly what you think Ward could have done to "spread the pain a little"....sounds more like you're any angry little person with an axe to grind.
10: 39
And the start of the economic crisis was over a year ago when the sub prime problem became well known.
4:03 - So? What is it you think could have been done differently?
Everything and anything that will be done, or should be done, should have been done sooner!!!!
Everything and anything? Gee, thanks for the clarification....
It would be nice, it would be reassuring, to know just what "cuts" Artie has made.
If any.
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