Not increasing a budget for eight years is tough for any family or business, let alone a governmental entity.

Wednesday, September 08, 1999

Not increasing a budget for eight years is tough for any family or business, let alone a governmental entity. However, that’s exactly what the Austin City Council has done, once again, with Tuesday night’s vote to maintain the levy at $2,163,795 or below.

Not a single citizen addressed the council on the levy, and council discussion before the vote was minimal. Tom Purcell wasn’t there to tell the audience how important the vote was, although his replacement at council member at-large, Dick Chaffee, did highlight the accomplishment in a brief statement.

This council and previous councils have done an admirable job of holding the line on city budgets. Both the council and the department heads deserve a pat on the back for resisting the temptation to increase the budgets and therefore our taxes. A creative finance department deserves praise as well – for devising ways and means for the city to accomplish some major goals over the past few years without raising taxes.

Thanks again, Mayor Bonnie Rietz and Council Members Dick Chaffee, Mickey Jorgenson, Roberto Romo, Jeanne Poppe, Todd Penske, Gloria Nordin, Dick Lang and all of the hard-working, penny-pinching department heads and supervisors in the city.

For those who would like the opportunity to address the council on the levy issue, a public meeting was set for Nov. 30, although residents could address the issue privately with any council member or at any council meeting before that date.