Is Austin's city manager, Marc Ott, out of his mind, or does he have unusual foresight into the city's fiscal future? Decide for yourself by listening to this news clip on KUT 90.5.
Instead of fully relying on the national government's bail-out plan, Ott believes it's time for Austin to start tightening the belt when it comes to spending. With decreased revenue from sales tax, the city must either cut it's current budget or depend on dollars from Uncle Sam.
While Ott intends to aggressively pursue federal dollars, he warns against the city's dependency on such funds by pointing out that the economic situation will likely continue to decline. Even projects that will generate jobs and revenue have operating costs, he warns. He prods residents to look past the year at hand and ask what will keep the city budget healthy in the years to come.
The long and short of this story is that Ott is proposing twenty-million dollars in city budget cuts. The president of Austin's Urban League, Jeff Richards, candidly pointed out that "when a city's economy falters, the need for social services increases". He believes that it will be up to non-profit organizations to "do their best" and "step up where they can" to help offset the rising cost of social needs. Perhaps this season of financial hardship will be an opportunity for Austinites to show their hearts and humanity to those who are less fortunate.
Ott's proposal brings to mind the memory of choices I made as a young child. Do I spend my money now on candy or toys or should I save it for an education that could return the favor in the future? Cutting down on creature comforts is certainly not the way to win a popularity contest. However, could the city manager have our best interests in mind by planning now for the future rather than just accepting a quick and easy "fix" for an extended crisis?
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