Actually, it starts out as a dialogue, but the last few messages are from Mayor Bob alone:
THE PULSE: We heard from a mutual friend just this week that you read The Pulse often. We appreciate that Mayor Bob!
We would really love to get your take on some of these issues.
Would you be willing to answer some questions… with your unedited responses posted on our blog?
Your Friends at The Pulse
MAYOR BOB: I would be delighted answer any questions from The Pulse. Please use this email address.
Would you be willing to answer one question?
Who are you?
THE PULSE: Mayor Bob,
Thanks for your willingness to answer our questions… and questions that have come from our readers.
Here are five topics that have come up in various conversations we’ve had with friends across the City. As we said, we will gladly post your unedited responses to these questions on The Pulse so that our readers can know first-hand what our City’s leadership says. Don’t feel you need to answer all five at once, we’ve told our readers that when you respond to a question, we’ll post the response.
1. The City is facing litigation from its failed attempt to build an estimated $69.9 million publicly-funded, city-owned convention center hotel where the Hilton currently stands. A number of companies, including Stevens & Wilkinson, Gary Realty, Garfield Traub Development, and others have sued the City for several million dollars for work that they did in the hotel’s development prior to the city-owned hotel deal falling apart. The City has also given $6 million in subsidies for the hotel since 2002. In a December memo to Council, City Manager Charles Austin listed the City’s contingent liability for this litigation at $10-14 million. How much has the City actually spent to date for the development, subsidies and other expenses for the hotel? What is the status of the lawsuit? Who is representing the City? And how is all of this being funded?
2. It took 18 months to close the City’s 2005-2006 financial books. Thus far, the City has yet to completely close and audit the financials for 2006-2007. When will that be completed and what is holding up that process?
3. In 2009, SCANA’s subsidies for the CMRTA will run out. Currently the system operates on an estimated budget of $11 million per year, with $2.47 million of that coming from SCE&G. Research and projections from the CMRTA put the real need for funding at $25 million per year to provide the resources needed for the CMRTA to best serve the region’s public transportation needs. What is the exact financial figure that the City will have to bear to keep CMRTA operational? Where do you expect that money to come from a budgetary planning standpoint? Will there have to be cuts in CMRTA’s services or more increases in bus fares once the City takes on the greater financial role?
4. The number one issue repeatedly mentioned in surveys of City residents is that our people want to feel safe in our communities. Since 1998, the public safety budget has only seen a 29% increase, while general government expenses have increase 221% in the same time period. With the changes in leadership over the last year, controversies within the force regarding certification testing, and the net number of police and fire officers dropping since 1998 is the City fulfilling its obligation to the residents and businesses of Columbia when it comes to crime, public safety and eradicating gangs? What are the benchmarks that you, Council and the City Manager consider to be key to keeping our City safe?
5. City Manager Charles Austin has called for 5-10% across-the-board budget cuts for the 2007-2008 budget year. If public safety and basic services need to remain at their current levels (if not increase), where does the City plan on tightening its belt financially to cover the cost? Is there a formal budget process? Who is involved in this budget process? What is the timeframe for the budget process? How are you and City Council a part of this process?
Oh… and by the way… to answer your question… The Pulse of Columbia is every taxpayer, business person, mom and dad in this City that has not had or used their voice in City government before. We just ask the questions we have and that we’ve heard. We believe that City government can’t run without the taxpayer’s money, and we just want you to know what everyone is thinking.
As always,
Your Friends at The Pulse
MAYOR BOB: Be glad to answer, but who is The Pulse? Why the mystery? Why not tell who you are?
MAYOR BOB (seeming to do a double-take): "Oh… and by the way… to answer your question… The Pulse of Columbia is every taxpayer, business person, mom and dad in this City that has not had or used their voice in City government before. We just ask the questions we have and that we’ve heard. We believe that City government can’t run without the taxpayer’s money, and we just want you to know what everyone is thinking.
As always,
Your Friends at The Pulse"
Come on guys!! You can do better than that! Who is/are The Pulse? Why be anonymous and secret? What are you hiding? Why throw the rock and hide your hand? I will commit to answer any question anytime if you will tell us who you are.
MAYOR BOB: Let me answer number five first (we just finished a City Council meeting on the budget for police and fire).
The question:
"5. City Manager Charles Austin has called for 5-10% across-the-board budget cuts for the 2007-2008 budget year. If public safety and basic services need to remain at their current levels (if not increase), where does the City plan on tightening its belt financially to cover the cost? Is there a formal budget process? Who is involved in this budget process? What is the timeframe for the budget process? How are you and City Council a part of this process?"
Answer:
The 5-10% cuts have not come to City Council. Each of the last few years the City Manager has asked staff to prepare similar cuts on a contingency basis in case they are needed. To date we have never had across-the-board cuts. The City Council voted unanimously today to accept the City Manager’s recommendation for the police and fire retention plan to be phased in over three years (we will try to do it in two years). The total cost will be in the range of $2.5 million (from memory this morning) that will go for higher salaries for our police and fire officers. Additionally, the City Council voted unanimously to establish 375 officers as our goal for the Police Department. That will require adding an additional 19 officers to the Police Department. The budget will be before the City Council in April with a final vote in June.
I will keep answering the other questions as quickly as possible. Now come on Pulse, jump in the "full disclosure" pool with the rest of us.
MAYOR BOB: Dear Pulse, Here is another answer.
Question: "3. In 2009, SCANA’s subsidies for the CMRTA will run out. Currently the system operates on an estimated budget of $11 million per year, with $2.47 million of that coming from SCE&G. Research and projections from the CMRTA put the real need for funding at $25 million per year to provide the resources needed for the CMRTA to best serve the region’s public transportation needs. What is the exact financial figure that the City will have to bear to keep CMRTA operational? Where do you expect that money to come from a budgetary planning standpoint? Will there have to be cuts in CMRTA’s services or more increases in bus fares once the City takes on the greater financial role?"
Answer: I serve as Vice Chair of the RTA and Chair of the RTA’s Service and Standards Committee. I will try to answer the question in three ways. First, Richland County is currently providing funding to the RTA through the vehicle registration fee. The County has established a Transportation Task Force chaired by Columbia College President Caroline Whitson to study long term funding options for all transportation needs including the RTA. We are working with Richland County to insure that current funding (vehicle registration fee) continues until a permanent source is found.
Secondly, the Service and Standards Committee has and will continue to make cuts and additions to the transit system. There is a detailed criteria for evaluating every bus route. The $25 million budget represents the optimal bus system. I doubt we will ever get to that level.
Thirdly, if the current funding provided by Richland County ends and no replacement or permanent funding replaces the vehicle registration fee, then the bus system would be reduced to just what the SCE&G subsidy ($1 million of the SCE&G is permanent every year), state and federal funding. The Service and Standards Committee has this reduced plan ready if needed. The reduced plan would be a drastic reduction. Under current State law, Columbia could not raise millage to cover the loss of RTA revenue, so a reduced system is the only option.
MAYOR BOB: Dear Pulse, I wanted to answer your follow up question.
Question: "Also… our readers are continuously asking us how to get more involved in the budget and financial planning process for the City. Mayor Bob… how can they do that? You had such a nice evening the other night for the State of the City, could you sponsor an evening where we can all sit down and talk through the City’s budget plans for next year?"
Answer: The City normally has a number of budget work sessions and an evening budget public hearing during the budget process. If your readers think another approach is needed we would certainly be open any suggestion.
MAYOR BOB: Dear Pulse, I wanted to answer another follow up question.
Question: "The reduction Mayor Bob is mentioning here would cut the bus service by nearly 85%. For some people in the City, public transportation is their only option. The big question then would be what areas of town would see the biggest hits from the “reduced plan” the Mayor mentioned?"
Answer: A 85% cut would be devastating to all parts of town. These cuts would shrink the bus system dramatically. Both Charleston and Greenville had to cut their bus systems in a similar way. The public quickly saw the need for the system. In Charleston’s case a referendum was passed after those cuts. Hopefully the current vehicle registration fee funding will continue unless and until another funding source replaces it.
The folks at The Pulse — of whom I would think a great deal more if they didn’t hide their identities — must have studied interrogation under George Smiley. His favored method was to ask a question and then shut up, holding his pen poised over his notepad for as long as it took the subject to start talking just to fill the silence.
I feel bad for Mayor Bob. He really does try to accommodate citizens as much as he can. He deserves to know who’s asking.