The Dearborn City Council Tuesday night unanimously passed the fiscal year 2011-12 budget, raised the city’s parking rates and will now be looking at a tax hike for residents.

This was one of the most difficult budgets the city has faced in recent history, particularly since the city is facing a budget gap of up to $20 million. And the hard work isn’t over. A tax increase is next.

Yet our elected City Council held the fewest amount of meetings in recent history to discuss this budget. This is why the idea of expanding public input on the budget and delaying Tuesday’s vote for a week was shot down. There was simply no time left.

Our elected Council had backed themselves into a corner. The budget had to be passed before the new fiscal year begins next month. So when City Council President Tom Tafelski said Tuesday night he was “not pleased” with the budget AFTER it was adopted all we could say was, really?

The City Council received this budget from the mayor on April 15. In the past, budget hearings would have been held immediately after council received the first draft, sometimes as many as 30 meetings before adoption. This year the number of meetings, according to one former councilman, was about a half dozen. Residents had no proper forum to voice their ideas or objections or get the full picture as to why pools and library branches needed to be closed or why parking rates had to go up and, and, and . . .

As residents of this city, we deserve better from our elected officials.

Closing pools and libraries isn’t going to fix the budget issue we have. If we are going to start nickel and diming, let’s take away the city paid cell phones from each City Council member. Do part time jobs really need a city paid cell phone? Let’s also consider a deeper pay cut for Council members. If Councilman Brian O’Donnell can take a 25 percent pay cut (you’ll recall he said he would when he ran for office) why can’t the rest of the Council? Sure the $3,900 O’Donnell has given back in pay to date isn’t going to repair the city’s deficit but if all of Council did the same that would be another $23,000 and change to date back to the City.

Now comes the work of convincing residents that even with all of these cuts we now need to pass a tax hike. Here is what will be cut this year:

• Snow Branch Library and both Whitmore-Bolles and Hemlock pools will close

• The Health Department will be eliminated by month’s end

• Our operating millage will increase by 1.38 mills to 15, which is allowed by the City Charter. The total 2011-12 millage rate will now be 21.9, up from 19.5 mills in 2010

• Parking rates will increase between $1 per hour and 50 cents depending on lots. The high traffic ones will be the most expensive. Sunday and holiday parking will remain free

• Leaf removal will remain because it is part of the city’s garbage millage

• Some 42 city jobs will be cut via a combination of unfilled vacancies, facilities closures and layoffs. Another 23 employees have taken buy-outs