The City Budget

Why do certain services get cut when it is time to plan the city budget?

When Tim Nash, Greeley finance director, put up the list of how much funding certain services will be receiving next year, I was amazed. A majority of the services are receiving no funding, many are getting reduced funding, and only a few are getting the full amounts they asked for. I know we are in difficult economic times, but it is saddening to sit there and listen to Mary Lou Walton and Jodi Hartmann plead their cases to try and get some funding for their programs. Walton's Envision and Hartmann's Transitional House are projected to receive no city funding during 2010.

I am pleased that the City Council is trying to do something about this lack of support. Mayor Ed Clark is worried about the $6500 that A Woman's Place lost in funding and wants to find ways to get that money back. Council member Charles Archibeque wants to find a way to get the Weld Food Bank more than $0 in funding. Council member Ed Phillipsen understands that there is no way to get every group the amount of money they asked for and wants to disperse the funds so each group can get some support. Hopefully the City Council can find a way to balance a reasonable budget and get these important services the funding they need.