2013 Budget Hearings

Video below:  Finance Director, James Smith

It is revealed that it is necessary to make $660,000 in cuts from the 2013 South Euclid budget.  Councilman Ed Icove prompts the finance director into throwing Mayor Welo under the bus for her decision to make those cuts exclusively from the Police and Fire departments at a $350,000 reduction per department.  Quite an interesting display as Ed Icove usually has very little to say, but this is an election year for the 4 ward council seats.  Councilwoman Ruth Gray chimes in and introduces a short discussion on the administration’s recent promotion and hiring practices regarding several individuals outside of the safety forces. (Please see -Note 1- with additional video below) She chastises her colleagues about the lack of preplanning during the 2012 budget hearings:  “…There were some significant cuts that should have been made then.  Because we knew that we were losing these funds.  We knew that last year….we’re getting ready to layoff our safety forces.  We knew in 2012 that these cuts were coming.  They started in 2012 but yet we continued to hire.  We have to explain and justify that.  We continued to hire knowing that this was going to happen…”

• time:  10 min. 0 sec.

Note 1: A new position was created in 2012 in the building department which came with a $15,000 raise. To view documentation of that discovery please see,
Let The Good Times Roll.

There was also a promotion to Economic Development Director on October 22, 2012 that came with a substantial pay increase.  Please see video below.  According to the last salary ordinance which was passed in 2009, the position of Economic Development Director has a salary range from $54,666 to $74,666. 

• time: 0 min. 54 sec.

To view document below, please RIGHT CLICK on document then LEFT CLICK on "OPEN LINK."

 
















Video below:  Fire Cheif, Rick Huston

• time: 20 min. 40 sec.

Video below:  Police Cheif, Kevin Nietert

• time: 28 min. 04 sec.

 

 

 

Video below:  Building Commissioner, Paul Kowalczyk and

                       Housing Manager, Sally Martin

• time: 7 min. 5 sec.

Video below:

Councilman, Dennis Fiorelli: “There was one employee who looks like he had a 50% increase. Maybe I read it wrong…Looks like…$31,200 and the budget was $46,200…

Building Commissioner: "Yeah…she got…”

Councilwoman, Jane Goodman: "She’s at Barb’s rate?

Housing Manager: “She’s not at Barb’s rate.”

Building Commissioner: “She’s not at Barb’s rate.”

Housing Manager: “It’s budgeted for Barb's rate.  She's not at Barb's rate.  She doesn’t earn that much. It’ll come in under budget.”

Councilman, Dennis Fiorelli: “Well then $46,200 should really be $31,200?

Building Commissioner: "Yes.”

Councilman, Dennis Fiorelli: “So you gonna change the $15,000? I don’t know…”

Councilman, Ed Icove: “Fifteen here, fifteen there.”

Councilman, Dennis Fiorelli: “I mean a few minutes ago you said you came in under budget. So it’s a typo? A clerical error?”

Building Commissioner: “Musta been; yeah.”

Councilman, Dennis Fiorelli: “I do read it.”

• time: 1 min. 24 sec.

Video below:  Community Services Director,  Keith Benjamin and
                       Economic Development Director, Michael Love

• time:  21 min. 14 sec.