Mayor Officially Proposes Budget Cuts

Alabama Mobile Mayor Sam Jones is also planning to attend the Paris Air Show next week.

by Steve Alexander

Published: Tue, June 09, 2009 - 6:35 pm CST Last Updated: Tue, June 09, 2009 - 7:30 pm CST

As News Five first told you last week, Mobile Mayor Sam Jones is proposing budget cuts of ten percent across the board to deal with the economic downturn.
The cuts would become effective October 1.
But he said public safety or public service won't be affected.
Mayor Jones officially presented his plan to members of the Mobile City Council Finance Committee Tuesday afternoon.
The cuts are not only for city departments, but also for agencies like Senior Citizens Services: agencies with city contracts.
Mayor Jones said, "We're trying to be as conservative as we can. We're trying to save as much as we can on various operations of the city and just preparing for that downturn."
Also, City Council members are not expected to get any discretionary money to pay for work in their districts.
When asked if he can live without discretionary money for his district, City Council Member Fred Richardson said, "Yes, if it comes down to that. We can do that as long as our citizens are safe and we're providing the best possible service."
When asked if she was prepared not to have discretionary money, City Council Member Connie Hudson said, "I'd never anticipated that in this year's budget. The thing about discretionary money is its money; its really the only money that we've had to be able to do any improvements in our district."
Mayor Jones, Council Member Richardson, the Mayors Chief of Staff, and the City Attorney are among 24 people from the Mobile area planning to attend the Paris Air Show next week to help drum up aerospace business for Mobile.
Mayor Jones said, "We have some meetings set up with EADS, Northrop Grumman, and with three of their suppliers that we are still trying to court to come to Mobile to bring some jobs to Mobile to improve the economy. Nobody comes because they read about you in the newspapers. You have to go and market your city."
When asked why we needed to spend the money, Council Member Richardson said, "There is no global language, there's no global art, there's no global history: there's only global business. Mobile is a global city and, for us to get our part of the global business, you've got to go global."
The Paris Air Show begins Monday.
As far as any other specifics of the mayor's budget cut proposal, Jones said he won't be presenting the budget to the City Council until sometime in August.

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rmseek1234 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 3:31 pm

24 people at roughly $2500/ticket, plus expenses….Hmm-wonder what could have been saved/created or impoved with those funds. Add in lodging, meals….Are they cutting the budget to FUND the trip????

minimay87 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 2:06 pm

I highly doubt that anyone is going to want to keep the people that are sucking us dry, then they might leach on to them.

carl Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 2:02 pm

Don’t suspose we could bribe the french to keep them,HUH?

cmb1 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 2:00 pm

I think only 4 from the city - the other people are from private industry? But look at the 4 the city if sending?

minimay87 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Are they serious? Why do they need that many people to go. That is what computers and cameras are for. They have live video conferences that they can do. Send a couple of people there bring back the information, if it is that important. Talking about low economic times and in the same breath tell us how we are shipping 24 of them off, I bet in first class too, to go figure out a way to improve the economy? Really that sounds like 1 step forward and about 100 back.

taxpayer Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 1:38 pm

ok - we need to call the City staff on Monday to see who is not in town. We MUST have accountability for the 24 people going to a Paris Air Show. This is nothing more that a free vacation for a very large group of people. And you announce this with the budget cut??

taxpayer Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 1:31 pm

PLEASE indentify these 24 people!! I MIGHT agree that the trip is worthwhile, but I will NEVER agree that we need 24 people at a Paris Air Show! Not even a trip for “only business”...they are blatantly advertising their participation in an Air Show in Paris, and maybe they will take a meeting while they are in town.

Again, who are these 24 people?

cmb1 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 1:04 pm

Tellem Razorsharp! I agree 100%. Hey WKRG would you please foward our comments to the mayor. Thank You!

Razorsharp Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 12:44 pm

If I were a global entity and had a meeting with these nit-wits, I would not come to Mobile either. Is it too much to ask of them to TRY to speak with some semblance of elloquence rather than their gutteral diatribe? These are our ELECTED public officials that represent Mobile? These are the best representatives that we have to offer the world? No wonder this city is in the shape it is in. No wonder the global community shows little or no serious intrest. All the while Sam, Freddy and the rest of their buddies are laughing all the way to France…and the bank.

poncho123 Says:

Wed, Jun 10, 2009 at 12:20 pm

hey Mr Mayor,
it has been 30 years since I was in France and sure would like to go back and see how things changed. Do you think I could get the taxpayers to pay for it like they are doing for you all
(((((((NOT))))))

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