Left In Lowell

This, despite the gimme raise they got from the Romney-Healey administration, despite Hillman’s connections, and despite a state police unions’ endorsement of Healey for Governor. (Now, to be fair, that 19% raise was a 3.8% increase per year between 2004 to 2008 after a bitter fight with Romney, but other unions appear to have got the shaft comparitively.)

I just find it interesting, that despite a union endorsement to Healey and the raise from Romney, that the Sun choose to mention that some troopers are volunteering for Patrick (on their own time, perfectly legal). It appears that not everyone is bamboozled by Healey’s tough-on-crime posturing, and see Patrick’s experience, both as a defense lawyer and a prosecutor, as worth something.

Nice to see it in the Lowell Sun too. Of course, the Sun’s editors choose to use the same Patrick photo for this article that they had on Sunday, which looks to be about 5-10 years old, with Patrick in glasses. (They used a beauuutiful photo of a smiling Kerry Healey, and overexposed and blurry photos of Mihos and Ross in the same Sunday spread. Surprise surprise.)

In case you did not know, our property taxes in Lowell are going up. How much? We will know in a month or so. Last night City Council meeting had a light agenda but it turned out to be another revealing meeting.

During the Manager’s Communication portion of the agenda, City Manager, Bernie Lynch, informed everyone that they found another glitch in the budget. This time the projected revenue of $1.5 million in “available funds” is really more like $157,000. Apparently, the previous year there was a one-time large revenue from a successful attempt to collect old parking debts.

The same kind of revenue was then projected to be available for the following year. It appeared that the CM was not only upset that the budget was prepared in this fashion but he seemed perturbed that he was not informed earlier. The new CFO is the one who brought it to his attention.

Meanwhile in Wally’s World (Walter Fernandez, our Auditor): Again, no clear answers to the City Councilors’ questions. They have 4 more months of having the Auditor tell them nothing and then cop an attitude when they ask him a question.

CM Lynch also announced that he is meeting this week with the IT Director to determine how he will post on the City’s web site his responses to the City Councilors’ motions. So now, not only will the City Councilors get a reply to their motion, but the rest of us will be part of the system. CM Lynch mentioned the Cambridge City web site as a model. I like that web site and I wish ours was more like theirs.

Another thing that CM Lynch mentioned, next year’s budget will have the background information to the line items both revenue and expenditures; So that the information will not be “voodoo accounting” as CC Jim Millinazo referred to this latest revelation.

I know that I keep saying this but CM Lynch really knows municipal government.

Next Tuesday prior to the CC meeting, the Finance Sub-Committee is meeting. I really wish this meeting was broadcast. I think I will send CC Rodney Elliott (Chairman of the sub-committee) an e-mail. Even if we do not get a chance to see the sub-committee live on television, at least we will have an opportunity to see the rebroadcast or live streaming.

In other business, the ordinance regarding a sign to be posted on the site of any new construction prior to requesting the proper permits; this is the Curtis Lemay (father and son) ordinance. It passed with a small change to the size of the sign.

The problem with business dumpsters was raised again. But CM Lynch did say that since he came on board, over 400 of the City’s 1,400 dumpsters have been inspected and there is a plan to inspect the rest.

CC Kevin Broderick motion regarding the re-instatement of the “paving list” was gladly received by the Administration and the CC. CM Lynch explained his “Pavement Management System” and this list will be updated as part of this infrastructure maintenance.

Guess, what the list is going to be posted on the web site; hopefully preventing the leap-froging that occurred in the past because someone knew someone.

That’s it.