IT WILL BE AT LEAST ONE MORE WEEK BEFORE THE SIOUX CITY COUNCIL RESOLVES THE DISPUTE OVER A $140-THOUSAND DOLLAR CUT TO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR’S BUDGET OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
THE COUNCIL VOTED 3-2 ON FEBRUARY 26TH TO REDUCE THAT BUDGET.
IN THAT MEETING, MAYOR BOB SCOTT, ALEX WATTERS AND JULIE SCHOENHERR VOTED TO REDUCE THE BUDGET.
MAYOR PRO-TEM DAN MOORE AND COUNCILMAN MATTHEW O’KANE VOTED AGAINST THE REDUCTION.
LAST MONDAY, THE COUNCIL APPROVED A MOTION BY O’KANE TO RECONSIDER THE BUDGET CUT AT THEIR NEXT MEETING, EVEN THOUGH THE ITEM WAS NOT PUBLICLY LISTED TO BE CONSIDERED..
AT THIS MONDAY’S COUNCIL MEETING, WATTERS ASKED TO DELAY THAT RECONSIDERATION FOR ANOTHER WEEK BECAUSE OF A CONVERSATION WITH THE CITY FINANCE DIRECTOR WHO SAID SEVERAL BUDGET RELATED THINGS WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE APRIL 14TH MEETING::
HRIGHTS1 OC…….. TO MAKE THAT CHANGE ON THE 14TH. :28
FINANCE DIRECTOR TERESA FITCH TOLD THE COUNCIL AND A LARGE CROWD OF SUPPORTERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION ABOUT THE FINACIAL IMPACT TO TAXPAYERS IF THE BUDGET CUT WAS OVERTURNED:
HRIGHTS2 OC……..$153,000 TO THE BUDGET. :26
SEVERAL SUPPORTERS OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION THEN VOICED THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE BUDGET CUT, FOLLOWED BY WATTERS MAKING HIS MOTION TO DELAY A DECISION FOR A WEEK.
MOORE AND O’KANE DIDN’T AGREE, BUT THEN TITO PARKER, THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS BOARD SAID HE WOULD SUPPORT WAITING A WEEK TO DECIDE THE ISSUE.
THE COUNCIL THEN VOTED 3-2 TO DEFER THE MATTER UNTIL. NEXT MONDAY WITH MOORE AND O’KANE VOTING NO.
