Coleman gives $5,000 raise to director after overspending his budget by $4.2 Million
From:
John Krenik
Date:
May 07 12:33 UTC
Short link
Hi All,
Mayor Chris Coleman recently approved a $5,000 raise for the Director of Public
Works after a recent annual review of his job performance, putting the
director's salary at $115,000. This action by the mayor comes after the
director of Public Works overspent his budget by $4.2 million.
A link to a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune is:
http://www.startribune.com/local/stpaul/18715359 and St. Paul Pioneer Press:
http://www.twincities.com/ci_9175487
The public works right-of-way fund was overspent by Public Works by a tune of
$3.5 million in 2007. This shortfall increased to $4.2 million because of a
drop in revenues and increased energy costs.
I have major difficulty in rewarding a department head for overspending his
budget by over $4.2 million. This is taking money away from other areas of the
city during very hard economic times.
Some solutions that are being looked at in addressing this shortfall:
1. Seal-coating of streets every 10 years instead of every eight years is
expected to save about $450,000.
2. Administrative spending cuts are expected to save about $100,000.
3. Eliminating the phone system that alerts residents of snow emergencies is
expected to save $50,000.
4. Sweeping of arterial streets 10 times a year instead of 16 is expected to
save $300,000.
5. Putting off the purchase of new equipment is expected to save about
$430,000.
6. Plowing when snow depth reaches 4 inches instead of 3 inches. This will
only create a road safety hazard.
The city council wants the downtown streets swept so they are eliminating alley
repaving and lawn mowing. The overall maintenance of our streets will be less.
Cutting back on the maintenance of physical property in the city will cost the
city in the long run. The failure to maintain and do simple preventative
maintenance is vital to keeping our roads in good condition. Playing catch up
later will only cost the taxpayers more in the end.
Additionally, what is the rest of the nation going to see in late summer when
the RNC comes to town (I would be saying the same thing if the DNC came to
town)? I will be greatly embarrassed if our city looks dirty and trashy to the
rest of the nation. Is this the best we can do here in St. Paul?
Council Member Pat Harris is 100% correct when he says the budgeting system
really needs to be fixed. Errors like this force cuts to services in other
areas of the city that are important to people.
“Beese, an appointee of Mayor Chris Coleman who has an accounting background,
said it was his fault. "We let you down last year, and ultimately I take full
responsibility, especially for the Right of Way Maintenance Fund," he said.”
(Pioneer Press) Now mayor Coleman is giving Beese a $5,000.00 raise.
What is wrong with this picture? It looks like mayor Coleman is rewarding a
friend and this raise is NOT based on his performance.
Maintaining our roads is vital to maintaining the health of our city. These
are basic city services and by cutting back on basic maintenance for our roads
by our city is the wrong way to go. Mayor Coleman is sending out the wrong
message to other city department managers by rewarding this manager after he
overspent his budget and this is just plain wrong. What mayor Coleman is
saying is, if you overspend your budget by $4.2 million we are still going to
reward you with a $5,000.00 pay raise. This is simply the wrong message for
mayor Coleman to be sending out.
Sincerely,
John Krenik
Highland Park, St. Paul, Minnesota
.