BUDGET NONSENSE

ON JULY 28, ACCOMPANIED BY OVER A DOZEN SUPPORTERS, I WAS GRANTED 5 MINUTES ON THE COMMISSION'S AGENDA.  I DISCUSSED WHAT I BELIEVE IS A MAJOR FLAW IN THE KNOX COUNTY MAYOR'S BUDGET.  BY MY ESTIMATE, WE ARE FACING A $15 MILLION REVENUE SHORTFALL DUE TO AN AMATEURISH MISCALCULATION.  THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS IN THE BUDGET, WHICH I CONSIDER TO BE UNORGANIZED, MISLEADING, AND DANGEROUS.  I ASKED THE COMMISSION TO RECALL AND REDO THE BUDGET, TO COUNTER AN EXPECTED 20-CENT PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. I WAS VIRTUALLY YAWNED TO DEATH.  THE COMMISSION, ESPECIALLY THE CHAIRMAN, OBVIOUSLY COULDN'T HAVE CARED LESS.  ONLY A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS GAVE ANY INDICATION THAT THEY HAD EVEN HEARD ME.  MR. STRICKLAND IMMEDIATELY PROCEEDED TO THE NEXT ITEM WITHOUT EVEN ACKNOWLEDGING MY PRESENTATION. I MUST ADMIT I WAS NOT SURPRISED.  A NS REPORTER INTERVIEWED ME, BUT DID NOT EVEN MENTION OUR COMPLAINT IN HER PUBLISHED ACCOUNT.  NO OTHER MAJOR-MEDIA REPS WERE PRESENT.  INCIDENTALLY, THE FINAL "BUDGET REPORT TO THE CITIZENRY" SHOWED A COMBINED SHORTFALL IN FY 2007-08 REVENUES (GENERAL FUND AND EDUCATION) TOTALLING $15 MILLION.  ISN'T ANYBODY WATCHING?  DOESN'T ANYBODY CARE? FOR YOUR INFORMATION, A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF MY REMARKS FOLLOWS.  BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANT TO PROTEST ON YOUR OWN, WHY NOT CUT/PASTE, AND EMAIL TO MR. STRICKLAND AT commission@knoxcounty.org ===================================================================================================== MR. STRICKLAND, AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMISSION: I AM CHARLES BOWERS OF 7920 BLUEBERRY ROAD, POWELL. SEVERAL OF YOUR NEIGHBORS, INCLUDING THESE FINE FOLKS WITH ME, HAVE ASKED ME TO SPEAK FOR THEM. I AM HONORED BY THEIR TRUST, AND I WELCOME THE OPPORTUNITY. HONORABLE COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE A FORMAL REQUEST FOR YOU. THE CITIZENS OF KNOX COUNTY SENT YOU A MESSAGE SOME TIME AGO, BUT MAYBE YOU DID NOT GET IT. WE TOLD YOU WE WANTED NO MORE BUSINESS AS USUAL. HOWEVER, WE CONTINUE TO SEE A LOT OF THE SAME OLD STUFF. LET ME ELABORATE. YOUR RECENT ACCEPTANCE OF THE MAYOR'S BUDGET, WITH VIRTUALLY NO CHANGE, SIGNALED PRETTY MUCH BUSINESS AS USUAL. IT SEEMS THAT YOU IGNORED OUR REQUEST. WE THINK YOU WERE WRONG. WE REQUEST THAT YOU RECALL AND REDO THE KNOX COUNTY FY2009 BUDGET. HERE'S WHY. THE DOCUMENT YOU SEE IN MY LEFT HAND IS THE SHELBY COUNTY FY09 BUDGET. THE DOCUMENT IN MY RIGHT HAND IS THE KNOX COUNTY BUDGET. BOTH DOCUMENTS HAVE SIMILAR TITLES, BUT FOLKS, THERE THE SIMILARITY ENDS. SHELBY'S BUDGET CLEARLY PRESENTS USEFUL PIE CHARTS, MISSION STATEMENTS, AND ORG CHARTS. AND, VERY IMPORTANTLY, CHARTS OF ACCOUNTS. KNOX'S BUDGET TRADITIONALLY HIDES ROTTEN PORK, LOBSTER LUNCHES, AND FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT, AND DEFINES VERY FEW ACCOUNTS. THE SHELBY VERSION IS SIGNED BY THE COUNTY MAYOR. THE KNOX VERSION IS NOT. IS SHELBY'S MAYOR WHARTON PROUD OF THEIR DOCUMENT? IS MAYOR RAGSDALE NOT? WHICH IS BEST? BEFORE ANSWERING, LETS LOOK AT SOME COMMON-SENSE BUDGETING STANDARDS. A BUDGET SHOULD BE CLEAR, AND IT SHOULD BE CREDIBLE..IT SHOULD PLAINLY SHOW WHAT WILL BE SPENT, WHEN IT WILL BE SPENT, AND WHO WILL SPEND IT. IT SHOULD PROVIDE AT LEAST MINIMAL INFO ON WHAT THE UNDERWRITER (THE TAXPAYER) GETS FOR HIS MONEY. IT SHOULD SOMEHOW ASSURE THE UNDERWRITER THAT THE EXPENSES ARE WARRANTED. IT SHOULD GENERATE NO UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ON ITS OWN.. THE LEFT-HAND BUDGET TALKS TO ALL THESE REQUIREMENTS – KNOX FAILS. A BUDGET SHOULD PROVIDE SOME COMFORT THAT IT IS COST-EFFECTIVE – LEAN AND MEAN. FINAL SCORE: SHELBY – LEAN AND MEAN; KNOX – MEANINGLESS AND A BUDGET SHOULD ADD UP. IF AN ANALYST FINDS ONE MAJOR FLAW, WHAT ASSURANCE CAN HE HAVE THAT THERE ARE NOT DOZENS, OR HUNDREDS, MORE, THAT HE HASN'T FOUND? I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE FOUND A MAJOR, FATAL FLAW. PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I WENT WRONG. HERE'S MY REASONING: THE KNOX BUDGET PROUDLY STATES THAT THERE WILL BE NO PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, WITH THE RATE REMAINING AT $2.69. THE HAPPY BUDGETEER GOES ON TO SAY THAT EACH PENNY OF THE RATE IS EQUIVALENT TO $814,000.. DO THE MATH: THAT MEANS AN EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION OF $219 MILLION BY THE BELOVED PROPERTY TAX. GREAT! THERE IS JUST ONE PROBLEM, THE BUDGET GOES ON TO SPEND $234 MILLION OF THAT MAGNIFICENT $219 MILLION POT. THAT'S $15 MILLION WE DON'T HAVE! RESULT: WE RING IN THE NEW YEAR WITH AN UNHERALDED $15 MILLION DEFICIT WHICH MUST BE HANDLED. SHELBY COUNTY EXPECTS A SIMILAR DEFICIT SITUATION, AND POSES CONTINGENCY PLANS TO COMPENSATE FOR IT. KNOX DOESN'T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE IT. OR DOES IT? AGAIN, WHAT AM I MISSING? IS THIS DEVIL HIDDEN IN THE DETAILS? OH, THERE'S ONE MORE THING. THE BUDGET ON THE LEFT COSTS $1244 PER CAPITA. THE KNOX COUNTERPART CHECKS OUT AT $1555. DO WE GET 25% MORE VALUE FROM OUR GOVERNMENT THAN SHELBY? I THINK NOT. WE SUBMIT THAT OUR BUDGET IS FATALLY FLAWED AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY YOU. YOU HAVE BOTH THE AUTHORITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY, UNDER KNOX COUNTY CHARTER SECTION 2.01, TO AMEND IT AND ANY ASSOCIATED TAX PROBLEMS. WE CALL IT YOUR DUTY. WE URGE YOU, AS STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYER DOLLAR. TO RECALL AND REISSUE THIS DANGEROUS BUDGET, UNDER CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS AND CONDITIONS (LIKE ZERO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING). WE WILL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS WHICH MIGHT HELP YOU, AND TO WORK WITH YOU IN ANY REASONABLE WAY. LET ME QUICKLY ADD THAT I SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU, MORE THAN CRITICIZE YOU. WADING THROUGH THIS BUREAUCRATIC MAZE IS A DAUNTING CHALLENGE INDEED. I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK AND GOD SPEED., AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.. ================================================================================================ P.S. IF GIVEN THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY, I WOULD HAVE ASKED ASKED MANY QUESTIONS, LIKE THESE: WHAT DOES THE COUNTY CLERK DO? HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WORK FOR HIM? HOW MUCH IS THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE RAISE? WHY IS IT WELL-DESERVED? WHAT ARE “PERSONAL SERVICES” (PAGE 3 OF MAY REPORT TO CITIZENRY)? WHAT IS THE CAFETERIA FUND? WHY THE INCREASE ($19.6M TO $22.7M)? WHERE CAN I FIND THE MAYOR'S OPERATING BUDGET. TRAVEL FUND? WHY DIDN'T THE MAYOR SIGN THE BUDGET?