Gary Common Council

Gary mayor and council toss barbs, but okay city budget

Contributed By:The 411 News

With a vote of 6-3, Gary’s city council approved the 2020 budget. Dissenting votes came from outgoing members Carolyn Rogers (4th District), LaVetta Sparks-Wade (6th), and Rebecca Wyatt (1st).

During prior budget hearings in committee and council meetings, council members criticized the $2.8 million increase, job cuts, and the short time they had to review the budget.

“This budget reflects ‘truth in spending’ for the first time in decades,” said Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson. “The $2.8 million dollar increase represents the accurate listing of costs for utilities, insurance and a modest raise for general services workers who are woefully underpaid for the work they do.”

The mayor said the city will have the cash flow to meet its obligations for the first time in many years. “We passed a budget that relies on 56 million dollars from the General Fund. The Prince administration will be able to pay those obligations in 2020 and not defer payments until 2021 as long as the Sale Leaseback closes and the city adheres to the Financial Recovery plan.”

During the Council meeting, Mayor Freeman-Wilson acknowledged the administration had not met the letter of the contract by providing 14-day advance notice to the employee union prior to submitting the budget proposal to the Council.

AFSCME union heads, representing city employees, were angered by not being told of jobs cuts; a cause that was taken up by council members. Some council members also called for a reduction in salaries of department directors.

The mayor said the elimination of positions would not occur until the beginning of 2020 and that her team was working to ensure that every person whose position is eliminated would be offered another position.

Freeman-Wilson said, “We value our union employees and have always been up front with union members about the impact of finances on city staff. We have eliminated union and non-union positions, but have always looked to minimize displacement.”

The mayor said she was not discouraged by the political wrangling. “We understand that there is a tendency to politicize the budget process. Some Council members used budget time to curry favor with union members. This is not a game of “us vs. them” but of creating a solid financial foundation so that we can provide the best services to the citizens of this community.”

Story Posted:10/24/2019