A strong mayor apparently needs a strong budgetary arm to flex.
Mayor Steve Bach, who is Colorado Springs’ first strong mayor, has allocated a $1.5 million discretionary fund for himself in his 2012 budget.
In his budget proposal, Bach calls the stash “contingent funds” that would be “available to address unanticipated or emergency items.”
Um, isn’t that the purpose of the city’s rainy-day fund?
Here’s the city’s official answer to that question:
“While we’ve tightened the budget – we need to have the ability to fund items that come up next year,” Chief Communications Officer Cindy Aubrey said Wednesday in an email.
“It is typical for a CEO to have a fund like this,” she said.
I’d sure rather have Mayor Bach controlling the contingency funds than Council.
A slush fund? What are the criteria to be applied to its use? Incentives to business, sales tax rebates, wooing business execs, bonuses to his appointees, expenses he doesn’t want Council to know about? More clarity is needed, given we have reserves for contingencies. Where is the accountability?
Yes, but Mayor ‘Lady Clairol Medium Chestnut Brown” is the mayor of a city (that supposedly has not one dime to spare), not the CEO of a corporation. I agree that a bit more clarity is needed…
I agree a whole lot of more clarity is needed; 1.5. million will help provide the needed funds for the Fire and Police Departments.
A “CEO”? He’s an elected mayor. Don’t let this one fall though the cracks.
I trust mayor bach alot better with the money than people like berning herpins and scott hente on the city council.
You wanted a strong mayor, now pay the man.
Mayor Bach is turning out to be quite a schoolyard bully…
I agree if its for emergency fund why not give it to first responders I didn’t vote for this snake in the grass. I need a million and a half for emergency fund too. Don’t stand for this as a community this will come back and bite him I’m sure hopefully someone is watching what his personal assets look like in the next few years. He should have went straight to Washington or Wall Street instead if waisting our time. I have more respect for those thieves and liars because thier greed is upfront and clear. Can we impeach . Obviously he is NOT our first strong mayor. If he really wanted to serve he would not be stealing from those he lied to during his lying campaign.