Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Sun Valley approves 2010 budget

Mayor steps in to break deadlocked City Council


By JON DUVAL
Express Staff Writer

Sun Valley Mayor Wayne Willich stepped in to break a deadlocked City Council to pass the fiscal year 2009-2010 budget, which takes effect Oct. 1.

At a special meeting on Thursday, July 30, Council President Nils Ribi and Councilman Dewayne Briscoe voted for an amended budget, while council members Joan Lamb and Dave Chase voted against the $6.1 million in expenditures.

The council also voted 3-1 in favor of waving the mandated three readings customary to pass a budget ordinance. Lamb, as she has done throughout her tenure on the council, opposed waiving the readings, saying that the public should have every possible opportunity to comment on the budget. Ribi countered that this was the seventh budget meeting that's taken place over the past three months and that the budget before the council had been public for more than 30 days, providing ample time for residents to express their concerns.

There was a similar argument during last year's budget proceedings, when the council split on whether or not to waive the three readings of an ordinance prior to or after discussing the substance of the ordinance. Either method is legal, although at that meeting City Attorney Adam King pointed out it is customary that discussion occurs prior to waiving any readings. This year, King was not on hand at the meeting to weigh in on the issue.

Only a few relatively minor changes were made to the tentative budget, which was passed at the beginning of the month. Specifically, the council approved the full request of $321,000 for the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber & Visitors Bureau and $330,000 for Mountain Rides Transportation Authority. This was $50,000 less than requested by Mountain Rides, with that amount going to minimum revenue guarantees for airline service to the Friedman Memorial Airport.

In addition, $15,000 will be contributed to the Sustain Blaine economic effort, a $15,000 reduction from what Willich had initially recommended. The council also cut the mayor's proposal to increase staff salaries, including bonuses, from 5 percent to 2.5 percent.

The overall effect of the changes was a $31,000 reduction of expenditures compared to the tentative budget.

Council members Chase and Lamb found fault with the budget in the increase in personnel expenses.

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"Our job is to allocate scarce resources," said Lamb, who criticized a $700,000 increase in personnel expenses over the past two years.

Lamb said that these expenditures were coming out of the city's reserves, drawing down funds available for capital improvement projects.

Chase also argued against raising the city's property tax by 3 percent, as is allowed annually by state law.

"Just because we can increase taxes every year doesn't mean we should," Chase said.

However, Ribi presented his own analysis of the city's reserves, projecting that at the end of the upcoming fiscal year, the city will have $2.35 million, just under 50 percent of the city's operating expenses. By comparison, the Government Finance Officers Association recommends a city have unreserved funds amounting to least 5 to 15 percent of its operating expenses.

Jon Duval: jduval@mtexpress.com

Conflict in the council chambers

For the second year in a row, Sun Valley's budget process witnessed tensions between Mayor Wayne Willich and Councilwoman Joan Lamb. While last year saw contention after Willich gaveled down Lamb for talking with City Attorney Adam King, this year the conflict arose over Lamb's use of a handheld device to send text messages.

Willich stopped the hearing to chastise Lamb, asking her to "stay on task." Willich said that by sending text messages she was being disrespectful to her fellow council members and reminded her that the council had approved a resolution in April that stated "members shall not use an electronic communications device during a meeting that distracts their attention from the meeting."

Lamb said she was merely keeping tabs on her daughter as the meeting neared the two-hour mark.

However, Willich did not accept that excuse, brusquely telling Lamb, "If you can't perform your functions here and want to resign your position, I will accept your resignation."




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