Public Hearing on Dearborn City Budget Today
The final public hearing on Dearborn’s proposed fiscal year 2012 budget will be held today, June 6, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers.
On Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 p.m. the city will adopt the budget and set the tax rate for Fiscal Year 2012, which begins July 1, 2011.
No matter what is cut from the city to save money, including pools, library branches and the end of leaf pickup, we can all count on the city coming to residents to vote on a tax hike this year to cover the city’s massive budget shortfall.
If you have time, please try to attend both meetings this week.
If you need more information, feel free to contact your City Council office at 943-2025.
June 6th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
Why does O’Reilly continue the same programs and expect different results? His appointees are Guido holdovers and have proven themselves suboptimal performers. This week the two accomplishments of the O’Reilly administration were the creation of a mushroom garden at UofM Dearborn and a Family Dollar anchoring the west end business district. I am a realist I voted for O’Reilly he was my neighbor for over twenty years, yes he does have some positive qualities, but being a chief executive officer ain’t one of them. You cannot say you love Dearborn and support eliminating services that make Dearborn what it is. Mayor O’Reilly’s cure is worse than the disease, and as long as he continues to support and protect proven under performers like Mark Guido, Norwood, O’Conner, Walling, Cascardo, and Orner, how can he in good faith enact cuts that destroy the very cultural capital that brins dynamism and adds value to our homes.
The vast amount of failed lawsuits and mishandled protests begs the question “Is our legal department effective”. The absolute disarray of the building department over the last 10 years that ended in multiple arrests questions our Mayor’s judgement in seeking additional funding to reassign Dave Norwood. The solution to the recreation budget problems is to close pools and libraries, when the real drain is the Civic Center. Why does Greg Orner continue to spend and grow Camp Dearborn when the citizens clearly want the Rec budget spent closer to home. Why does this city even need a deputy mayor? Is that not the Mayor’s job? If we have a full time deputy mayor why do we pay O’Reilly .
I understand times are tough. Revenue sharing is drastically reduced and federal funds are diminishing. However cuts need to be prioritized and the services that add comparative economic advantage to our community should be stabilized. Ideas like mushroom gardens, Amish cabins at Camp Dearborn, Arab Festival, Homecomming, and a never ending list of mayoral appointees should be reduced
June 6th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
Take the 460K Somers just cost us, and use that to S.O.P.’s!! And, I am sure there will be more ($$$$$, Pucci) where that came from soon!!! Another Million Dollars??
June 6th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
The reason we have a deputy mayor,is because O’Reilly is incompetent. His father would be ashamed of him, as he is in over his head. He lets the mutant departmennt heads fill his ego, instead of going out and finding out how the people feel, and what their needs are.
June 6th, 2011 at 5:26 pm
Get rid of all the bums, including the Big Boy. Lets start all over, with someone new.
June 6th, 2011 at 5:30 pm
I’m not in the camp that Homecoming or Arab Fest should be cut. These are things that attract people to our city. Ann Arbor has festivals, Chicago has festivals, Detroit has festivals. These are the great PR events that ATTRACT people into our streets, even if for a few days. Those few days help create a feeling of good will toward our city, which may at some point lead to people moving here.
That being said, the libraries and pools are the things that KEEP many of us that already live here, here. Cutting those things will be a critically bad move for this city. I support the idea that any politician that actually supports this destructive budget needs to be the subject of a recall, immediately. I understand the feeling of “good neighbors” in Dearborn, and for many years people have chosen not to actually “target” ineffective politicians as these people are our “neighbors” too. That feeling of good will needs to end. If these politicians are dismantling the very things that make our city special in the larger metro Detroit area, then those politicians need to go and make way for leaders who will effectively lead us. Without these branch libraries and neighborhood pools, we might as well be Melvindale, Lincoln Park or Taylor.
Recall these clowns. Then establish a library district that’s supported by a separate millage, and free from city hall cuts; the best libraries in the area are independent of city hall (look at West Bloomfield—an award winning library district that’s funded by a separate millage.). And then someone needs to listen to the dozens of suggestions and ideas presented by the good people of SOP which will keep our pools running for many years to come.
Come on people. If these politicians won’t listen to the people they represent, they need to be recalled. There are people out there with actual revenue-generating ideas, and who are able to think outside the box to preserve city services. So why are we settling for these mental midgets at city hall?
FYI, I recently heard from a city employee that when Brian O’Donnell campaigned, if elected he said he would take a 25% pay cut. However, at a recent meeting, a 10% pay cut for city council was suggested, and he balked, saying that he needed this money to pay for time away from his family. So a 5% pay cut was finally passed. So these part-time employees, who all have full-time gigs to actually pay their bills, can only muster a 5% pay cut (what is that? $700 a year, each?). So after that, if they end up closing pools and libraries, they NEED to be RECALLED. Period. That’s irresponsible governance. And Bob Abraham’s campaign promise of “Save our Services?” Where are you now, Bob? Was that just more campaign lip service?
June 6th, 2011 at 8:33 pm
I was in downtown Plymouth Saturday evening and the place was packed. All the bars and restaurants too as well as the outside square. They’re not known for public pools and libraries, are they? How come we can’t be like downtown Plymouth? What’s the difference?
June 7th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
Before Council votes on something as drastic as closing a library or pools, they should put a vote to the people. What about a millage for pools and libraries?
Council should also address the growing costs of maintaining minimum staffing levels for Police and Fire.
At the budget meeting last night, a city employee from Finance said “If we don’t get the costs of Police and Fire under control, we’re going to be in trouble”. Then a member of the public called upon Police and Fire to offer wage concessions to help save our city. “Why”? he said. “Because it’s the right thing to do”.
Public Safety is essential, but in these tough times there’s only so much money to go around. The city takes in 13.62 mills for city government. The Police cost 10 mills, Fire costs 4. That leaves nothing for other services. Then Police and Fire’s costs are going up by over $2 million in 2012 (which means the budget for Police is heading toward $36 million and $19 million for Fire). And because of the minimum staffing provision, Police will be hiring more full-time officers in July. On top of this, while general employees will see a 10% pay cut in 2012, Police and Fire will see a “contractual 3% pay increase”. All other Departments, Council and the Mayor are taking pay cuts. Why can’t Police and Fire pitch in?
I believe Police and Fire do a great job, and this deficit we’re facing is not their fault, but we all need to make some sacrifices to keep Dearborn a great city.
Wouldn’t some temporary individual concessions be better than permanently taking away institutions that enrich the lives of all Dearborn residents, whether directly or indirectly: our neighborhood pools, libraries and museums?
If no concessions are made, let’s urge the Mayor to put minimum staffing for Police on the ballot to see where the residents stand.
June 7th, 2011 at 2:19 pm
I will not support a millage AFTER pools are closed (and demolished) and Snow Branch Library is closed (and sold off). I will support a temporary millage to KEEP these amenities and fully fund the Dearborn Historical Museum. Otherwise, come next election, I will be active in helping the Mayor and City Council members lose their jobs.
June 7th, 2011 at 6:46 pm
People shouldn’t be shocked, because politicians will say anything to get elected. I hope the people don’t forget the idle promises that were made, and stick these pricks when they run again.
June 7th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
The lawsuits are going to cost the Big Guy and us residents tons, but shame on us we elected Boss Hogg and Judge Somers in the first place.
June 8th, 2011 at 1:04 am
I agree that the question of minimum staffing levels needs to be revisited. Police and fire don’t need to face any layoffs, just concede to take a small pay cut in line with all the rest of Dearborn’s employees. I fully support our city’s great police and fire departments, and taking a pay cut is a bad prospect, but cities are simply having to be run with smaller budgets these days.
I’m especially concerned that Snow Branch library, and possibly the other branches, are facing closure. I’ve visited Snow for years, and when I recently was looking to buy a home in Dearborn, I tried to look for houses that were close to Snow Branch, hoping that my family could enjoy this library for years to come. Dreams of walking with your children to your welcoming neighborhood library to participate in programs, socialize with your neighbors, have some safe and free fun, take home some great materials, and foster in your kids a love of reading and learning–these are some small but meaningful benefits that Dearborn’s neighborhood libraries currently offer to families, and it would be such a shame to give this up permanently.
June 8th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Pilgrim my advice to u, is if you like what Plymouth so much — simply move, because u aren’t going to see any changes here.
June 9th, 2011 at 12:17 am
Mayor O’Reilly, Thomas Tafelski, City Council, Maryanne Bartles,
Julie Schaefer, Steve Smith, Library Commission & Library Foundation:
I will be praying for the rest of my days that you carry deep shame in your hearts for the rest of your days for closing the nicest library in Dearborn:
Snow Branch Library