Q&A
1998 budget disagreement between mayor and city council
4:32:23
·
123 sec
Council Member Brewer questions Randy Mastro about the 1998 budget disagreement when the council passed its own budget. Mastro provides context for the situation and expresses disappointment over the breakdown.
- Mastro explains that the disagreement centered around funding for a Westside stadium
- He notes that the speaker at the time was running for governor, which complicated matters
- Mastro expresses regret over the breakdown, emphasizing it was the only such incident during his tenure
- He highlights the generally constructive working relationship between his office and the council
Gale A. Brewer
4:32:23
Okay.
4:32:24
It's not an SRO in the traditional sense.
4:32:28
June 1998, I know that you had moved on soon, but there in terms of the budget, the budget was I think that was the year when the council passed its own budget.
4:32:38
Yes.
4:32:39
Okay.
4:32:39
So do you have some reason to think why that happened?
4:32:42
Did you have anything to do with that?
4:32:43
Because if everything was so rosy, that would not be an example of good relationships between the mayor and the city council wonder what you would have done differently.
Randy Mastro
4:32:52
Okay.
4:32:53
Well, of course, I was about to depart.
Gale A. Brewer
4:32:57
But we haven't departed yet, and the scheduling of the budget starts earlier.
Randy Mastro
4:33:01
That's that's
Gale A. Brewer
4:33:02
As somebody who's been doing this for 30 years.
Randy Mastro
4:33:05
Yes.
4:33:05
And as as somebody who did it then.
4:33:07
Yes.
4:33:08
I I was involved, and I was disappointed at what happened.
4:33:10
But you will recall the circumstances and where the meltdown occurred.
4:33:15
The meltdown occurred over And I have tremendous respect for him, but the the speaker was running for governor, and the speaker wanted to block any provision of money going into the budget relating to a Westside stadium.
4:33:33
The mayor, you know, thought that that was inappropriate and fought the 2 fought on the budget.
4:33:39
That's really where they stalmated.
4:33:40
And there was a litigation over whether you recall there would be a referendum on that issue.
4:33:48
And really, a line item in a budget is not something that you that you have a referendum over.
4:33:54
So to me, While I was on the way out at that moment, that was a disappointment because that was the only time in my time, and we worked together on many things, council member.
4:34:06
That was the only time we had a breakdown with the the council, and I was sorry to see that happen.
4:34:14
But on so many other occasions, we worked so constructively and got so much good legislation done and so much positive done working my office and the council's office.