Special Board of Aldermen 07-01-2021 Page 3
that. If you take that into account that’s on the table on page 1 of my Memorandum — hopefully you all have
a copy — you'll see that it says 1.7 increase. For the Police, it’s 6.6 percent increase in the budget. For Fire
— the Fire people are here, the Police is here looking to get their raises...
Alderman O’Brien
30 second.
Fred Teeboom
9.1 percent. Completely unacceptable. If you look why, you'll find that there’s a 23 % percent increase in
the pension costs. Besides the fact that the pension fund was mismanaged by over a billion dollars, it’s
well documented, and the fact that the insanity of asking for 100 percent funding, you can take a look at my
example of a Deputy Fire Chief — now an Alderman — and the kind of money he makes as a pension.
Alderman O’Brien
Madam Chairman President the time.
President Wilshire
Time is up Sir.
Fred Teeboom
Well | hope you put the same gag rule on these aldermen when they make the comments that you put on
the public when they make comments about what affects their taxes.
Lou Juris
Good evening. Lou Juris here from 56 Haines Street. This is the result of the downshifting and as a result,
these cuts had to be made. A higher than normal tax increase is probably going to happen but what this
budget will do is guarantee that when the alarms up, bells go off the Fire Department shows up within a
reasonable time within the time specifications. That goes with the same with the cops. If something
happens, they’re going to be there under this budget. The ambulance, educating our students, public
health in this past year and a half where we’ve had a pandemic, and in addition to the continued upgrades
of our roads and the maintenance of our roads, and our sewer system, and of course keeping the water
flowing, this is what this budget is going to continue to do. If there are those who are speaking and making
comments against it, then they should have tried to reach out to those in the Legislature and the State
Senate who voted to push these downshifting costs especially in regards to the pension costs. This is
where the rubber meets the road and | think the city has done its best to try to mitigate that. It’s my opinion
that this full Board should pass the budget. Thank you.
President Wilshire
There is no one else signed up for public comment.
Laura Colquhoun
Laura Colquhoun
President Wilshire
Oh I’m sorry. Ms. Colquhoun.
