Excellent City Budget financial update report posted here by CM Barret Lane. A lot of information and overdue bills for us civilians/taxpayers to digest and pay for. Responses to this update, both from within City gov't. and from the general public (and the press), should prove interesting in coming weeks. It is evident that incremental tinkering will not solve or even improve this budgetary situation. We need dramatic innovation, consolidation and restructuring within city government if this budget dilemma is to be rectified within any reasonable period of time (i.e. a decade). Public belts must be tightened and the attire altered if Minneapolis is to avoid lowered bond ratings and massive local tax increases in coming years-- a scenario which would likely stimulate a mass emigration of well-to-do taxpayers from the City, resulting in a downward spiral of local tax revenues, accompanied by more tax hikes, and a rapid decline in the overall quality of our urban environment. Kudos to Barret Lane for pushing these budgetary issues toward the front burner! M. Hohmann 13th Ward
