September 28, 2006

By Diane Chiddister

At their meeting Monday, Sept. 25, members of the Yellow Springs Village Council engaged in an intense discussion with a group of villagers about how best to involve the community in the Village budget process. At issue was a proposal by Council member Judith Hempfling that Council postpone its Sept. 25 agenda item to set 2007 Village goals, since that item had not been previously announced or publicized in the community.

“Goal-setting is the part that you really want the public to be involved in,” Hempfling said at the beginning of the meeting. While Council had previously stated it would discuss the 2006 Village goals at Monday’s meeting, she had not expected that the 2007 goals would also be on the agenda, Hempfling said.

Council President Jocelyn Hardman moved that Council continue with its planned agenda, including the 2007 goals, and the goal-setting discussion took place (see accompanying News story) after a lengthy consideration of the budget process.

Council needed to move ahead with the 2007 goals discussion Monday night because, given the Village’s current budget constraints and lack of money for new projects, there would probably be no new goals, Hardman said. And, because Council is seeking a property tax levy on the Nov. 7 ballot, Council’s most significant responsibility to the community now is to finalize the 2007 Village budget to make clear how it would spend levy money, she said.

In response, Hempfling said she felt the budget process was being rushed and it would be more effective before the levy vote to hold two special budget workshops, one presenting budget information and the other focused on community input and small group discussions of budget issues.

On Monday night Council chose to move ahead with Hardman’s plan for informational workshops and identified Oct. 4, Oct. 10 and Oct. 19 as meetings in which Council will present 2007 Village budget information. Council will give the first reading of the 2007 Village budget at its Nov. 6 meeting, the night before the election.

“We were elected to provide citizens with information,” Hardman said. “This is our job.”

Other Council members said they support involving the community in the budget process, but that given time constraints, there is not enough time this year to do so. Council members also stated that the budget workshops will allow time for community input.

“I definitely want it to be more conversational,” Council member Karen Wintrow said of future budget discussions.

About 15 villagers attended the meeting, and most who spoke felt strongly that Council should make more effort to involve the community in the budget discussion.

If Council’s intent is to promote support for the 8.4 mill levy, increasing community input would work better than finalizing the budget before the election, according to Marianne MacQueen.

Making a concerted attempt to include community input would “at least give a show of support” to those who have felt excluded from the levy decision, according to Ali Thomas, who said that among people she knows, support for the levy is low because “people feel uncomfortable about whether they’re being represented in Village Council.”

Gina Paget also encouraged Council to engage the public more in budget discussions, especially by allowing villagers to talk to each other in small groups about budget choices, to gain respect for differing viewpoints.

But Council has been discussing the budget problems since last January, and no one showed up for those meetings, according to Jean Payne.

“Now that the party’s over and the lights are turned off, now we’re starting to talk about the process,” Payne said. “Our options are gone, the choices are gone.”

While it’s unfortunate that more villagers didn’t take part earlier in the budget discussion, it’s human nature “not to jump on board until there’s a crisis,” said Kathy Adams, who said that Council members should stop reprimanding villagers for failing to show up for earlier discussions.

“We’re here now,” she said.

Some villagers feel intimidated showing up for Council meetings because they feel they won’t be heard, according to Jaime Adoff. Some don’t expect to be heard because they perceive that Hempfling is not taken seriously by other Council members, he said.

“I feel many times that Judith isn’t heard, not treated with respect, or ignored completely,” he said. “It’s shocking to me to see this in my community.”

Those who attend Council meetings need to recognize that Council members also hear from others in the community who don’t attend, and who may have very different opinions, Hardman said. For instance, she said, some villagers have said they oppose the levy because Council did not, given its budget deficit, immediately agree to stop funding non-mandated human services, such as the Gaunt Park pool. Instead, Council approved a levy that is divided almost equally between funding mandated and non-mandated services.

“These people are good people like you are,” Hardman said. “There are these two extremes, and we tried to hit the sweet spot in the middle.”

Contact: dchiddister@ysnew.com

Council calls for special budget workshops(top)

Village Council will hold the first budget workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m., at the Bryan Community Center. Village Manager Eric Swansen will present information on the Village’s special revenue funds, such as funds for economic development and green space.

On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Council will hold its second budget workshop, also at 7 p.m. in the Bryan Center. At that meeting, Swansen will present information on the enterprise funds. At the last budget workshop, on Thursday, Oct. 18, Swansen will discuss the general fund.

Council is seeking to present to the community the 2007 Village budget before Election Day on Nov. 7, during which villagers will vote on a proposed 8.4 mill property tax levy. Council has stated that it will prepare two budgets, one reflecting the operational state of the Village if the levy passes, and the other showing the effects if the levy fails.

The levy, which will raise $743,000, will address the current deficit in the Village’s general fund.

Council goals for 2007

At their Sept. 25 meeting, members of Village Council identified five new goals for 2007, and also continued six goals from 2006. By doing so, Council directed Village Manager Eric Swansen to return the goals to Council for further consideration.

The 2007 goals are:

• Define the most effective role in maintaining and strengthening economic diversity, suggested by Council member Judith Hempfling

• Sustain, as much as possible, those human services which help make the village desirable and distinctive, suggested by community member Stan Bernstein

• Define and work to make Yellow Springs a bikable and walkable community, suggested by Council President Jocelyn Hardman

• Financial solvency and sustainability, suggested by Council member Kathryn Chase

• Encourage the conservation of energy, suggested by community member Byron Dann.

• Council chose to continue the following goals from 2006:

• Define the most effective Village role in economic development, in relation to other community, regional and state organizations

• Establish a plan to realize a protected greenbelt around the village, especially along Jacoby Creek

• Develop a prioritized capital improvement plan that balances available capital and reserve needs, operations and maintenance costs and affordability

• Develop a strategic plan using extensive public involvement to define the vision, values and factors critical to the success of our community

• Explore a plan to provide affordable, reliable high-speed Internet services that provide the community with a competitive advantage in the market of goods, services and ideas

• Define the Village’s role in enhancing downtown as a place for retail and commercial activity.

The goal-setting took place after a lengthy and intense discussion regarding the role of the community in the budget process (see accompanying article), and the upcoming property tax levy. Most Council members seemed in agreement with each other’s goal suggestions, with the goal on sustaining human services prompting the most discussion.

“I think we’re all committed to having those services in the community,” said Hardman. Council members also stated that the goal did not necessarily mean funding the services, but rather sustaining them as much as possible.

Hempfling also stated that she will bring to the next meeting an additional goal on Council leading an updating of the Village zoning code to promote environmental and fiscal sustainability, after she decides on the exact wording.