Jackson Jambalaya

The Jackson Free Press is reporting that the budget deficit for Jackson has ballooned from approximately $4 million dollars to $13 million dollars. As Adam Lynch reported:
"The city administration updated an earlier estimation of a $3.9 million budget deficit today at the 3 p.m. budget meeting. “The city is currently out of budget about $13.1 million,” said city Director of Administration Rick Hill...."

So how did this happen? The budget deficit TRIPLED in only a few months? In April the administration was stating it was only a $4.1 million deficit. Now four months later it is $13 million dollars? What the hell happened in four months? Did he put his flag football expert Melvin in charge of the finances? To their credit, some of the City Council members pressed for further details and were given short shrift by the administration. The Mayor will not even provide them with detailed budgets, as Mr. Lynch reported:
"The council had been expecting a phone book-sized collection of numbers, including itemized salaries and annual pay for each city employee, among other things. What they got was a 30-page budget summary."

The City Council has been unable to look at solutions to the deficit as the Mayor has refused to provide them with an itemized budget along with the appropriate explanations. Before a problem can be solved, it first has to be identified. The Mayor works for us, the citizens of Jackson. It his his job, no, his duty, to provide us and our representatives with a detailed budget, which is certainly more than 30 pages (Hell, audited financial statements for a medium-sized business can run 50 pages easily), so that it can be determined what needs to be done. Promises, accusations, and talking point memos aren't going to come up with $13 million dollars. What we need is a damned budget that is itemized that tells us EXACTLY what the projected revenues and expenditures are.

However, there is apparently a reason for the deficit. In typical fashion, Melton blamed someone else, this time the Johnson Administration. He claimed that "his internal auditors have discovered the city has run a deficit for years. He passed around a sheet composed by his staff that showed his first budget, fiscal 2006-07, inherited a $5.6 million revenue shortfall" (The Clarion-Ledger, August 21, 2007). Incidentally, his proposed solution is to raid the City's $7 million dollar rainy day fund, leaving Jackson with no reserves should an emergency like Katrina or one of Melton's so-called state of emergencies face Jackson again.

Even if one takes Melton's claims at face value, which experience shows is foolish, that still does not explain why the deficit is $13 million. If there was mismanagement by the prior administration Mayor, why don't you call in the state auditor's office? They are pretty good at finding corruption you know. Hmmm...I wonder if that is why they have not been called. An independent audit of the city finances could be done, which would show the public how bad they were when Melton assumed office. Sorry Mayor, but considering how you have repeatedly blamed everyone else and were found guilty of lying under oath in court, some of your citizens aren't so quick to take your claims at face value, especially when Mayor Johnson was required by law not to have a budget that was at a deficit.

Of course, Melton's blaming Mayor Johnson follows the pattern he set with reporting crime. He first refused to release any crime statistics, then junked the reporting system the city used. The media had to go to court in order to get any information at first on the crime problem while he accused the Johnson administration of providing false crime statistics, something that was never proved. Meanwhile, the FBI investigates and the budget spirals out of control.

The more this mayor is in office, the more apparent it is he has no friggin clue and is running this city by the seat of his pants.

related story:
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/comments.php?id=13145_0_27_0_C

Update: hmmm...just had a thought. Ongoing FBI investigation, Mayor refuses to release an itemized budget, huge deficit, Mayor blames everyone else............

Update: Got some clarification. The JFP wasn't clear on one thing. There is a 13 million dollar deficit. However it is for NEXT year's budget (called the intentions), not the current budget. However, that is STILL a disaster.