Kathleen Ford and Mayor Rick Baker butt heads again

ST. PETERSBURG-- Mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford urged city officials to tap into budget reserves and honor its union contracts to city employees during a budget forum tonight.

Mayor Rick Baker has proposed a wage freeze for all city workers that will save $4 million in the 2010 budget.

Ford, a former City Council member, said Baker has set aside millions of dollars in various reserve funds. He therefore cannot defend his stance that the city can ignore the contracts because St. Petersburg is in a state of financial urgency, she said. She identified $58 million in reserve funds that could be used to fund city programs and services.

Some union workers in the crowded City Council chambers cheered her.

Baker, however, said it would be irresponsible to raid the city's reserves. That money should be saved for a true disaster, he said. He also predicted that declining property values would make balancing the 2011 budget difficult.

"I am concerned for our city," he said. "My concern for the city makes me want to keep the reserves."

Baker later refuted Ford's claims, although he didn't identify her by name. He said he heard "someone" make a comment about reaching into utility funds.

"Those are separate enterprise funds," he said. "You can't do that."

He did not address Ford's request to use other funds.

Baker trumped Ford in the 2001 mayoral elections.

A majority of City Council members said the city should honor its union contracts, even if it means dipping into the reserves.

"If we can't keep that committment, we have no business making it in the first place," Council member Bill Dudley told a crowd full of city employees. "We have and we need to keep that committment to you."

Cristina Silva, Times staff writer

Comments

[Alex Haak]

Ford is 100% wrong and irresponsible, to try to create votes by pleasing the union, and taking a chance on fatally needed emergency escrow funds, especially so in Florida and its hurricanes.
I fully agree with our mayor on this one.
This is a former mayor talking.

[tootsie roll]

Go Kathleen. Mayor Baker is out of touch.

[True Blue]

Alex, those who pray together stay together. No surprise you support your bud Rick.

[Ford]

This just in: Kathleen Ford is nuts. Oh wait, that's not news.

[Rudy]

Whoever is elected mayor in November will have to live with the budget Baker gets approved. I would expect them all to be at the Budget Workshop. We now know Ford was at the budget workshop. And, because he is on City Council, Bennett was there, too.

Cristina, Which of the other 8 remaining candidates for mayor were also present?

I for one will not vote for any who did not care enough to attend. The only excuse I will accept is that they were at a funeral, out of town for several days before AND afterward, or in a hospital with a loved one. Anything is tells me that the person is not a serious candidate.

[oldtimer]

The city and the unions both bargained in good faith and these commitments need to be kept. The system breaks down if either side can just ignore their contract. I hope the council has the wisdom to override the mayor on this.

[STEVE SPRAT]

Baker wasted $20,000,000.00 on BAYWALK for his buddy Sembler, that was our tax money. Baker subsidizes the RAY'S each year with our tax money, approx $250,000.00 for traffic control. It is a big secret, on how much money the tax payers lose each year on the Honda Grand PRIX? And lets not forget about MID TOWN, how much tax money wasted there?

[ALWAYS VOTE OPPOSITE OF UNIONS]

I support Mayor Baker. Everyone must live within their means including government.

The unions & employees gorged during the boom, now it's pullback time.

A salary-freeze is perfect. The union contract allows for a freeze in certain circumstance. In fact we should cut salaries like many American families are facing.

Kathleen Ford just wants to SPEND SPEND SPEND at taxpayer's expense.

WE SUPPORT MAYOR BAKER.

[ALWAYS VOTE OPPOSITE OF UNIONS]

Deveron Gibbons supports living within the city's mean unlike Kathleen Ford:

http://www.gibbonsformayor.com/

That may be why Gov Crist endorses him as our next mayor.

[Time for a change]

The City does not meet the statutory test for an emergency. Therefore, it is likely that the unions will prevail if Council does not amend Baker's proposed budget to keep the City's respective promises to its unions. If Council continues on the path suggested by Baker, it will cost the taxpayers even more in legal fees because the City has not bargained in good faith and there is no emergency. Importantly, Council will be squandering what good will may still be left between the city and its hardworking employees who show up every day, every night, every weekend and every holiday to do their jobs. Ford suggested the use of surplus fund balances, not reserves. Big difference. The amount of surplus money in the funds she described exceeds the city's own policies for those fund balances or, even more compelling, the city did not even bother to designate a fund balance policy. Council member Polson suggested the use of these very same fund balances in his opening remarks. From his past experience as a City administrator, Polson knows how the City used to routinely make up a new "fund" to hide City dollars. Later on, after the budget was approved, some new project needing city funding would be brought for council's review and approval (usually multimillion dollar projects, of course). Amazingly, year after year, budget after budget, Council after council agonizes over balancing the budget only to be faced mid year by a City staff recommendation for approval of a multi million dollar project that was never referenced during any of the budgetary workshops or budget hearings. Where did the money come from? This money was there all along tucked away in these unrestricted and surplus fund balances. This council does not read its own financial statements (or if it does, they obviously do not know how to understand them). The City has plenty of money to meet its obligations to its unions. If Baker does not amend his proposal or council does not amend the budget, the unions will sue, the unions should prevail and this council and this mayor will have cost the taxpayers even more money. As if losing $15.8 million operating dollars last fall wasn't enough already.....

[Crank down the millage rate]

Sounds like there is enough money in all those fund balances so council can not only pay the unions but it can cut our taxes, too. Decrease the millage rate. Baker hired 63 new people after he took office-over half of the amount that he assiduously takes credit for cutting today as part of his streamlining and cost cutting. A majority of the other positions Baker cut were vacant (were these positions really necessary in the first place?) And, there were no disclosures, either, about how many of these "former" employees Baker approved of for "private" consulting agreements with the City-Mike Dove, Bob Jeffreys, etc. Council do your homework. Quit sipping Baker's koolaid.

[shuturyap]

True Blue- You continue to prove the talk is right. You are the southbound end of a northbound donkey.
Baker is right.

[Pelican Pete]

Christina,

I know that Ford, Foster and Bennett attended the budget forum.

I also know that Gibbons and Williams did not attend.

Were Helms, Warren, Wagman, Eldridge & Congemie at the budget forum?

[George]

The contract was negotiated years ago under different economic conditions. Many taxpayers are out of work or have had cuts in their income. Inflation is 0%. Many people are losing their homes.

The citizens want elected officials who are looking out for them. They don't deserve an increase in millage rates or decreases in city services to pay for these raises.

[Norm]

Our local governments have been raiding utility and other reserve funds to cover their little pet projects for years. Utility funds are the best-kept side-funding secret, are the easiest because they are a separate enterprise fund and aren't subject to the same public scrutiny as the property tax and general fund structure. A lot of folks don't even realize they exist. And frankly, some have been used in complete conflict with the purpose for which they were collected.

I’ve tried to get answers to what appears to be about a $68-million discrepancy in the County’s “Rainy Day” fund that several elected officials took great pride in campaigning about. The County’s OMB was very helpful up to point. That was the point at which I asked for a copy of the account’s governing ordinance/policy dictating its specific purpose and use parameters, and a copy of the ledger. All communication stopped at that point.

Ms. Ford is right to bring this issue to the table – if for no other reason than to push for the full disclosure of these accounts, their balances, and exactly how these funds have been appropriated or misappropriated as it were. Contrary to the beliefs of some, we taxpayers do have the right to know.

[Cristina Silva]

The only mayoral candidates I saw there were Ford, Foster and Bennett.
Council candidates were incumbents Leslie Curran, Karl Nurse, Jeff Danner, Jim Kennedy and newcomers Pamella Settlegoode, Steve Kornell and Stephen Corsetti.

[Posture Perfect]

More posturing from Kathleen. She would be the first one ranting and filing legal claims if the City couldn't respond to a disaster because they depleted reserves to give 7 percent pay increases in the midst of a recession. Are you kidding me?

[SIMON]

FORD - STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY ON RAISES IN A ZERO INFLATION ENVIRONMENT.

HOW DO YOU THINK THOSE OF US NOT WORKING FEEL. WE WANT JOBS AND NEED THEM NOW. IF WE SPEND ANYWHERE IS SHOUL BE ON JOBS JOBS JOBS YOU MORON.

[clarify]

Posture Perfect,
I thought the raises in question are the 2.5% ones mentioned in previous legal agreements.

Am I mistaken?

[Zen Master]

I can't believe I kinda agree with with Tricky Ricky Baker and Furious Ford both.

1. Honor your word! You said they can have a raise so make it happen or you are a lying sack of excrement with no honor- 1 point for Ford.

2. Those funds are not there to pay for whatever you want and should be held in reserve unless it is a true emergency! 1 point for Baker.

[Get Real]

I'm sure there are provisions in the contract that say if there's a fiscal constraint (like a near depression), then you don't get your 7% pay increase. Geeze.

[n]

If I was the mayor - I would go ahead and give them their raise and start laying people off . See how they like life without a job

[Alex Haak]

Let me make it perfectly clear; "I do not agree with 1/2 of the things our mayor dose" The mayors Republican political partner "Bush" left the ENTIRE world in shock and in a financial disaster, only very, very selfish creeps can look for a raise right now.

$ 250 000 for traffic control is a donation, to the pleasure it gives to thousands and thousands, look at it as a recreation department donation.

I said it then, and I say it now, I was willing to serve our city without a salary and donate my salary to the poor, which big mouth hiding behind a fake name will follow me.
I live on Social Security. only !!! Another answer from Alex Haak will "tell it like it is"

['sayin]

Interesting how so many folks without a job or money, seem to have a laptop and internet service. This blog is loaded with campaign hacks pimping for thier boy or girl. It's a freaking hoot!

[Yeppers!]

When all is said and done, it will be Foster and Ford going into the General. Watch it happen.