City of Franklin Mayor Tom Taylor, a self-proclaimed Republican is at odds with Democrat County Supervisor Chris Abele, over of all things—spending cuts! Three Million dollars to be exact. County Executive Abele's budget cuts $3 million from the paramedic subsidy to municipalities.
According to Franklin Fire Chief James Martins’ 2009 Annual Report:
... since the new Emergency Medical Services contract with Milwaukee County in 2006, [the City of Franklin has] increased revenue for ambulance services to the City of Franklin dramatically.
Does this explain why our BIG TAX and SPENDING mayor wants Milwaukee County to put up a $6 million paramedic subsidy?
Haven’t We Seen This Movie Before?
Mayor Taylor has enlisted the help of his good ol’ boys network; the Intergovernmental Cooperation Council of Milwaukee County (ICC), a group of Mayors and Village Presidents that represent the 19 municipalities within Milwaukee County and is chaired by Taylor. The ICC has faced criticism from a number of County Supervisors, especially District 16 Supervisor John F. Weishan, Jr., who said in a March 4, 2010 press release in response to ICC comments on a County government study,
“The ICC comments divert attention from the true issues facing Milwaukee County: increasing health care costs, stagnant state funding and the failures of County Executive Walker to fulfill his duties as the County’s administrator.”
Of all politicians on the ICC, Mayor Taylor should know that even the $3 million subsidy historically has been challenged. We remind “His Honor” that a portion of the County’s tax revenue comes from Franklin tax payers. Isn’t the mayor essentially asking County Executive Abele to raise taxes on ICC-member cities including Franklin tax payers to come up with the addition $3 million?
Taylor and Abele approach the cuts from rather different views.
Taylor believes "We need to be proactive, which is much better than reacting to the budget after it is presented. The difficulty is that there are contracts in place between municipalities who are providing services to other municipalities.” A rather odd statement, when one considers Taylor’s own lack of proactive success when it comes to economic growth in his own city and his well-known bullying, reactive style of governance.
On the other hand Abele is looking at the big picture and views the paramedic subsidy cut as part of a plan to fill a projected shortfall of $55million. "I'm committed to introducing a budget without a deficit or levy increase, I'm looking for ways to save Milwaukee County taxpayers money, including by reviewing discretionary spending and encouraging consolidation."
So will the real fiscal conservative please stand up—not so fast Mr. Mayor!
Contributing material to this story: No quick rescue for paramedics funding (FranklinNOW)
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