TRANSPARENT BUDGETING PRACTICES

I take being a steward of public funds very seriously, and honest and transparent budgeting practices are a must. For 6 years on council, I have and will continue to ensure that we are being wise with every taxpayer dollar we spend. Residents expect and deserve nothing less. I have advocated for aggressively funding our long term debt liabilities to honor our commitment to the city’s retirees and to ensure a stable outlook and bond rating going forward. Most importantly, we must remember that line items on a budget aren’t just abstract figures, they’re reflections of a city’s values, priorities, and expectations. Berkley’s citizens rightfully expect that Berkley will continue to support programs that improve their quality of life and provide essential government services effectively, efficiently, and economically.

With the failure of the Headlee Override vote, there have no doubt been some hard choices made regarding the budget. The chipper service and yard waste tags, the reduction of summer hours at the library, among other things were not decided lightly. I am hopeful that there will be another attempt at passing a millage and we can look to fully bring these services back in the future.

The reality is that Berkley is not unique in this challenge. Municipalities all across the state face the problems that the combination of Headlee and Proposal A cause. On their own, they are good ideas, but combined together they hinder the ability of local governments to provide all the services it can. The millage rates are constantly being rolled back due to these two factors and until we fix municipal funding in this state, we will continue to see these cycles where a vote is needed to allow the community to levy a higher rate. Additionally, chronic underinvestment in state shared revenue where for years the state balanced its budget on the backs of local governments has only exacerbated the problem. I will continue to advocate for these changes at the state level.