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Flint audit claims fund surplus
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
By Marjory Raymer
mraymer@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6325
FLINT - For the second year in a row, city officials expect to post a budget surplus, according to a draft audit report.
Flint's fund balance is $8.9 million, according to the report that will go to the state Friday - two days before the deadline.
This is the second fiscal year since the end of a state-ordered financial takeover of the city brought on by a debt estimated at $40 million and the city's inability to provide accurate and timely financial reports.
The $8.9 million fund balance represents 14 percent of the total 2006 general fund budget.
"The city's been able to make substantial capital improvements while being financially responsible," said Finance Director Peter Dobrzeniecki, who prepared the report.
The report notes that in the past year, the city hired 12 additional police officers, spent $11.5 million on infrastructure improvements - mostly street paving - and increased other fund balances, such as the water fund (up to $11.3 million) and sewer fund (up to $49 million).
"That's good news. We hope we can stay on that same trend," said 8th Ward City Councilman Ehren Gonzales.
Officially, it's been just shy of one year since the state emergency financial takeover ended.
Gov. Jennifer Granholm lifted the order in January 2006, a month after the city posted a $6.1-million surplus, the first in six years.
The gesture was largely symbolic by then. Emergency financial manager Ed Kurtz controlled City Hall for two years from May 2002-July 2004 and power was then returned to Mayor Donald Williamson and the City Council.
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:01 am |
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Don
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| Thank You Mayor Williamson, I am sure a lot more positive things are coming to us soon! Good Work on such great budget making, and following hard on your promises. |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:51 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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| Hmm the actual amount of the "DON WILLIAMSON" surplus could have opened the jail for the last two years. Interesting... I rather liked this article! |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:06 pm |
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John II
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RE ELECT THE HONORABLE DON WILLIAMSON!!
4 MORE YEARS! |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 6:24 pm |
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Eastside Gal
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:05 pm |
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Paul
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| Lets hope the mayor keeps up the good work, so Don williamson will be re elected, and not that sand bagger "Dayne Walling". |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 7:58 pm |
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Marcos
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| I think it's safe to give most credit for this budget surplus, not just to Williamson, but also to his administration as a whole... but nontheless this is great news and his team can take credit for it. |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 9:21 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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Are you for real?
quote:
Gov. Jennifer Granholm lifted the order in January 2006, a month after the city posted a $6.1-million surplus, the first in six years
8.9 minus 6.1 equals 2.8 Hmmm It costs 1.5 million to operate the Ciy Jail and with a recovery of fines of .33 million a year. WOW. I'll be more than happy to give the Mayor the Credit for an aditional 2.8 million in the surplus at the cost of citizens' safety!
He Spent 675,000 extra for Garbage trucks, buying them form Auburn Hills.
He sent 500,000 more for Tahoes instead of Impalas.
He Cost the city 140,000 for arresting a paper boy in a newspaper he buys three and four page color ads in!
He cost the city 160,000 in settling with the Polic Sgts union over violating the contract!
He lost the City 1.4 million in HUD dollars.
How much could the budget surplus be had he not been Mayor and we just CONTINUED to follow the Budget laid out by the former City Council. We could have had a 10 million dollar budget Surplus. How soon we forget!
Let's see what has it cost US! Arresting/giving rides to criminals "PFI" Pending Further Investigation" TWO and THREE times in a single night! Becuase they cannot put them in Jail! We've hired (2004) 11 officers (2005) 9 officers and (2006) 12 officers??? And crime continues to go up!
How much encouragement can this Mayor give to criminals? Pick them up and then drive them home. Or even arrest them again while they are on their way home! WHy not just give them a get out of Jail Free card. Oops He already is!
You watch. He's going to play the woody game. Open the jail before election. Prove he is FINALLY serious about fighting crime. THen close it again after the election. SAD SAD SAD!
Thank You DON! |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 10:18 pm |
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Steve Myers
Site Admin
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| ok |
_________________
Steve Myers |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:17 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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quote:
Joe schreef:
TAHOE's are better tahn IMPALAs
In What way? Besides being a Status Symbol?
quote:
The amount of new officers under his watch.. WOW.. thats huge.. how many in 2007? I bet , it will be more tahn 10.
I don't know how much of a crime increase we can take? Let's see.
In 2004 he hired 11 Crime went up for the first time in over ten years 17 percent.
In 2005 he hired 9 officers and crime went up a second time 12 percent.
In 2006 he hired 12 I'm predicting at least 9 percent but if he follows his past trend it should go up 20 percent!
It's just his numbers. It's just the City's numbers. Not mine. I've got my FOIA request ready for the first of the year. |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:19 pm |
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marcos
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| The topic is about the 8.9 million surplus, not the one beforem talk about that and stop ruining the topic. |
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Wed Dec 27, 2006 11:55 pm |
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Ted Jankowski
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HUH? What are you talking about?
I responded to the two posts prior to mine. Matter of Fact I quoted them. Only it appears Steve has deleted them. As I have no way to do that.
As far as the Topic.
If the topic was the surplus and the Don's Credit taken ability concerning it. I believe I pointed out exactly where the problem lies!
Wasting money on 1st year (Rookie) manager mistakes. Ie Contractual violations. Loss of HUD dollars, saving money by failing to provide for the public safety!
Proven by the City's own crime stats and police hiring numbers! All's I did was point out what is already on record. The Mayor hired more officers and crime went up! That's not what I would call fiscally responsible!
If he could actually take credit for anything i would be the difference between the Budget used before he was given the authority to make changes. Thus the difference between what there was before he took over and the difference. IE a true "Williamson credit able) surplus of 2.8. Which after review of the MONEY WASTED could have been another 1.1 million. Considering the money he wasted and the fact they he refuses to open the Jail. Which would have cost 1.2 - 1.5 to provide for the public's safety.
Thus isn't it wonderful, You give him credit for saving money... while proving that he completely failed to manage effectively. What the surplus could have actually been. All the while sticking ti the public by letting criminals walk the streets because he won't open the jail, thereby encouraging crime by hiring more officers to hand out multi appearence tickets, and releases of the same criminals in the same night PFI. Thanks Don! |
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Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:53 am |
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marcos
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| He dosnt refuse to open the city jail... He plans on using the impound lot money and has an opening dating targetted for jan. 07. The reason he isnt using the surplus money to do this is because their is short and long-term financial plans to save this money for the future. |
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Thu Dec 28, 2006 12:59 am |
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Ted Jankowski
F L I N T O I D
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Ok Explain then why he would blow so much off the Budget on Hiring Officers that can't do anything? WOuldn't it have made more sense to open the Jail rather than hire more officers that cannot arrest criminals?
WOuldn't it have made more sense to Open the Jail rather than Pay City WOrkers to sit at home and do nothing? Or Pay a Journal Carrier 140.000 to deliver papers to City Hall? Or pay Sgts not to drive their police Vehicles?
It just seems to me (And I'm no rocket scientist) That Actually having a place to put criminals. Instead of having a policy of Catch and release. WOuld make more sense.
If you cannot arrest criminals? How many officers does it take to reduce crime? 100? 1000? 2000? I'm sorry. But it's commonsense to me. That without having the city jail open. The number of Officers we had in 2003 was more than what was needed to fight and reduce crime in Flint.
THat's a Fact! Not my opinion! It was done. He has hired 30 officers in three years and crime continues to rise. There are so many reasons why crime is going up. "Not enough officers" isn't one of them. |
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Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:49 am |
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Adam Ford
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quote:
Marcos schreef:
I think it's safe to give most credit for this budget surplus, not just to Williamson, but also to his administration as a whole... but nontheless this is great news and his team can take credit for it.
I think any leader is limited by the capability of the people around him. If our police department and economic development were run as effectively as our budget and finance departments seem to be run we would be in great shape.
Don't murderers go to state prison? Most murderers in Flint get away with it. We should not need the Flint city jail open to put killers behind bard. |
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Thu Dec 28, 2006 6:22 pm |
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