Q&A
Debate over budget surplus and impact of cuts
6:59:53
·
43 sec
Council Member Restler and Director Jiha engage in a heated debate about the necessity and impact of budget cuts, with Restler arguing that there is a budget surplus while Jiha defends the administration's fiscal management.
- Restler cites IBO and council finance division reports of a $1 billion surplus
- Restler highlights constituent complaints about service cuts despite the surplus
- Jiha maintains that the cuts were necessary to stabilize city finances
Lincoln Restler
6:59:53
No.
6:59:54
But but this is a 2,000,000,000 according to the IBO, according to the council finance division, there are 1,000,000,000 of dollars in surplus right now for this year and for next fiscal year.
7:00:01
So the chaotic budget cuts that have been imposed, 7 rounds of them over this mayor's two and a half years in office, have had enormous impacts on our community.
7:00:10
Every single day I am in my district, constituents come up to me and say, why did the mayor cut this?
7:00:15
Why did the mayor cut that?
7:00:16
I can't go to the library.
7:00:17
I can't drop my compost off.
7:00:19
I can't get my kid an early childhood education seat that I desperately need.
7:00:23
And I say, honestly, we have 1,000,000,000 of dollars in surplus.
7:00:26
I can't tell you why these cuts have been imposed.
7:00:28
So you may not take it lightly.
7:00:29
It may not be a game.
7:00:30
I'm not saying that you do.
7:00:32
But I don't understand the fiscal management that's been that's been imposed.
Jacques Jiha
7:00:36
We we had to take some tough measures to stabilize these finances.
