Plan includes contingencies to increase accountability of administration
By Kyle Carrozza, Staff Writer, The Times
COATESVILLE – City Council adopted the preliminary budget for 2014 at its meeting Monday night.
The budget, set at just over $10 million, includes a 3.5-mill tax increase to make the new rate 9.415 mills. The budget also includes stipulations in order to stimulate redevelopment in the city.
In the first few months of next year, City Council will draft goals and objectives for 2014. Those goals and objectives will be handed on to the city’s various administrative departments, who will then develop plans for achieving them.
“Since each department has a reporting responsibility back with finance, are those departments communicating in the best way they have?” asked City Council President David Collins. “We’ve determined that, in the past, those measures have not been in place, so we’re taking the responsibility on to make sure that we give the proper instructions to the administration.”
He said that the measures would allow City Council to hold the administration accountable as well as allowing citizens to hold City Council responsible.
Collins said that the goals could include the training of personnel, using the most efficient software for record-keeping, and even setting individual performance goals for each eight-hour workday. Other objectives may look to increase revenue into the city, as Council wants to cut its dependence on trust fund money.
He said that Council will come up with the objectives in the first 30 days of 2014, and they would then be given to City Manager Kirby Hudson, who would formulate more specific plans for each department.
“Each year, these goals and objectives will be reviewed by whoever’s on Council, but it will be a permanent document that will be kept evergreen year over year and as the administration changes,” said Collins.
He also said that City Council would work to come up with consequences for departments or individuals that do not meet their goals.
Council members all showed support for the plan.
“I took an oath; let’s do it,” said Ingrid Jones.
City Council also voted to hire three additional part-time police officers, pending their passing of physical and psychological examinations.
In other city news, Council accepted a bid from Barrasso Excavation out of Mohnton to deal with Walnut Street storm water. The action comes in response to a state mandate passed earlier this year, which requires municipalities to make sure storm water is being dealt with.
The excavation will cost just over $240,000, but the city has received a grant of $340,000 that will go to the project. The repairs will not take place until next year so that these items can be added to the 2014 budget.
Why not more of a response from Coatesville residents? Understand people we are in trouble if this passes. We are already paying outrageously high trash bills, school taxes, and the agreement by Council and American Water is hurting our pockets. We need as many residents as possible to come on December 9th to express our concerns.
If this passes it will be the official end of any chance for success for Coatesville.
I don’t think this is a hugely protest/editorial-worthy action. While the tax increase may impact home ownership, at $3.50 per every $1000, I don’t think that many people are going to be forced to sell their homes because of it. No doubt it’d be nice to have that money in pocket, but the average citizen will see an increase of around $200 a year, not really a break the bank increase.
Speaking to your other point, the racist exchange between district administrators is, in fact, life impacting. What residents found out during various school board and NAACP was that there is evidence to suggest that racism has adversely affected students of color in the district. Black students saw a disproportionately high suspension rate, and some residents (of multiple races) thought that students of color were being passed up for opportunities to participate in programs that many of them were qualified for.
Where are the protestors now? This is life impacting, not two white men send racist and sexist text messages who were fired. This can impact homeownership. Where are the editorials The Coatesville Times?
I own a home over 70 yrs in the family in town . I can barely keep it alive as rental . I am seriously going to consider doing sect 8 as no way I can pay these outrageous bills to a city that offers me NOTHING in return . We are paying over $6600 per yr just to be there . Time to cut , cut , cut . Just where do they spend 10.2 mil dollars ? Believe me , the school district will have even more liens to sell for pennies on he dollar next yr