Some council members expressed slight irritation Thursday upon hearing Mayor Ron Littlefield planned to hand deliver an alternative budget next week that would cut a chunk out of his 33 percent proposed property tax hike.
"I wished we had it three weeks ago," said Councilwoman Sally Robinson. "I've been asking for it. We've seen the Mercedes Benz and I want the Chevrolet."
Several weeks ago, Mr. Littlefield proposed a budget that included a property tax increase of 64 cents per $100 of assessed value. Since then, council members have said they would not support or approve such a steep hike.
Mr. Littlefield said this week he planned to give a second proposal that would lop off some of the proposed increase, but he said it would mean "substantial pain" to the overall city budget.
Most council members said Thursday they were anxious to see what the mayor presents. He has not given any details about how much of a cut could come to his proposed budget, which is asking for a bump from $167 million this fiscal year to $198.6 million next fiscal year.
Councilwoman Pam Ladd said the council has done tremendous work on the budget already.
"It will be frustrating if some of the things are things we're hanging our heads over," she said.
Council members said they believe Mr. Littlefield and his administration are now paying attention to the council. During budget talks Tuesday, Councilman Andraé McGary made a suggestion that the council "punt" the budget back to the mayor and ask for something more in tune with the council's wishes.
He said Thursday that the new proposal could be more realistic for the council than looking at the current $32 million gap between this year's and next year's budgets.
"It will certainly give the council more footing," he said. "A smaller gap would be more reasonable."
WHAT'S NEXTMayor Ron Littlefield will propose an alternative budget next Tuesday during the City Council's 1 p.m. budget talks. The new budget will offer a less substantial property tax increase than the proposed 33 percent hike, city officials said Thursday.
Councilman Russell Gilbert said just because the mayor is coming out with a newer budget does not mean it will be the stopping point. He said he has to "see it and look at it and touch it" before he could sign off on a budget the city could live with.
But the checks and balances between the executive branch and the legislative branch and how money is handled is exactly how the system is supposed to work, he added.
"We set what we want to see, and he goes out and finds it," Mr. Gilbert said.
Councilwoman Carol Berz, chairwoman of the Budget, Personnel and Finance Committee, said the mayor and council is a similar relationship to a CEO and a board of directors.
"Our job is to give direction, not micromanage," she said. "Their job is to do the will of the board."