Story posted Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Mayor Veto Overruled
Council Majority Sticks With Increased Contributions
By CRAIG ADAMS Journal & Topics Reporter
Two aldermen in agreement with the mayor's veto were not enough as the other five Park Ridge aldermen overrode the veto of the city's contributions to community groups.
Alds. Joe Sweeney (1st) and Rich DiPietro (2nd) on Monday, June 15 voted to uphold Mayor Dave Schmidt's veto of an increased contribution---$38,900 more than originally approved---in the city's budget. However, their effort needed the support of one more alderman as the rest chose to overrule the veto and keep the larger amount.
Sweeney, in his first meeting, questioned a $40,000 contribution to the senior center.
"The senior center is budgeted by the Park Ridge Park District. We are taxed as citizens for the senior center," he said. The contribution means taxpayers pay for the center both through their Park District tax and their municipal tax. "Why are we double taxing the citizens of Park Ridge?" he asked.
Several citizens spoke to the council, some asking aldermen to sustain the veto, others hoping another allocation of money could occur, giving more to social service agencies and less to artistic endeavors. City Attorney Everette Hill explained if the veto were sustained, the matter would come back before the council at which time changes could still occur.
Although the amount Mayor Dave Schmidt vetoed was more than originally budgeted, it matched the amount given by the council during the previous fiscal year.
Ald. Frank Wsol (7th) spoke in favor of the override. He talked of hiring a new police chief, the unbudgeted air conditioner for City Hall, and increasing costs of insurance.
"Our employees have agreed, in several cases, to forgo pay raises," he said. "This is not more money, just the same. These are programs that demonstrate value in our community."
Ald. Don Bach (3rd) also stated the additional money the council approved was not an increase.
"It's a maintenance," he said. "Instead of increasing we voted to maintain. This is not an increase."
Schmidt again argued with the aldermen's statements.
"All of our expenses are rising; that's why we need to cut our spending." He added that he was going to a fundraiser for the Center of Concern the next night.
"I'm going to give them my own money, and that's what the people should do. We are spending money we don't have."
After asking the council again to sustain the veto, the vote was called and it was overridden.
"I'm disappointed," Schmidt said the next day. "The aldermen all did what they thought was right. I believe they're wrong." He added the council should have accepted DiPietro's proposal giving more money to the social service agencies.
"Their justification for increasing the contributions was that the social service agencies need to be funded at the same level as the year before. If you accept that premise, then they should have accepted Ald. DiPietro's proposal that would have preserved the funding of those social service agencies but still kept the spending level at the budgeted amount."
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