BRUCE PHILPOTT
How will you pull the city through the economic downturn and resulting budget gaps?
Glendale's economic problems started in 2001, when its new, overly generous labor agreements were initiated. The next year, the city's workforce grew past the number it could afford and started borrowing money to cover the shortfall.
Today, the city transfers funds from Glendale Water & Power's reserves, money that was allocated for infrastructure maintenance and repair. That money is used to cover the increased payroll obligations of the general fund. After depleting the Glendale Water & Power reserves, the city then issues bonds to make urgent and needed repairs to the utility's infrastructure and labels them "revenue" as a deceptive method of "balancing" the budget.
Reasons why revenues don't keep up with expenditures: A government workforce growing six times faster than the general population, overly generous and complex labor agreements, and huge project cost overruns.
Though staff reductions needed for a true balanced budget can be accomplished through attrition over the next three years, we must readjust management layers that have increased disproportionately higher than the increases in the number of rank-and-file employees.
Explain your position on Measure U.
In the last few years, the city has demonstrated that it is not a good steward of our money. A "yes" vote on Measure U leaves the residents without the opportunity to challenge this tax in the future.
Explain your plan for retaining existing businesses and attracting new ones amid this harsh economic climate.
