City Council: Dr. Destructo's budget tactics, Mustafa on testicular fortitude

Hmmmm....

 

With 18 of 24 resolutions at Monday's Plainfield City Council meeting being on the consent agenda (meaning adopted without discussion in one voice vote), one woulda thunk a short meeting would be a slam dunk.

But that would overlook the game of shivs-behind-smiles that has been going on over the Mapp administration's attempt to get itself up and running.

While Mayor Mapp cracked the whip on his team to deliver a budget to the Council in a timely fashion in mid-March, the Council has yet to adopt its amendments and it is not clear when the 2014 budget will be adopted.

Councilor Reid, in his role as Dr. Destructo, seemed lukewarm to Council President Bridget Rivers suggestion that he get the ball rolling. Reid suggested things might wait until next month and offered that the Council could adopt a temporary budget appropriation in case things weren't resolved by the end of May.

As chair of the Finance Committee, he seems not to have scheduled any committee meetings yet to work on the proposed amendments. (The other two members are Councilors Storch and Taylor.) Reid did reluctantly agree to call Administration & Finance Director Ron West to talk about setting up a meeting.

The concert before the Independence Day fireworks became the center of another wrangle, when former Mayor Robinson-Briggs' handpicked promoter complained that he did not get this year's contract, even though he said his was a lower bid.

Ultimately, Council rescinded the resolution, meaning no contract will be awarded.

When the administration was questioned about paying the $3,900 in bills run up by former Mayor Robinson-Briggs with Leon's Catering (for which she never submitted purchase orders), Administration & Finance Director politely reminded the Council that the budget was  now the Council's responsibility -- and that they could amend the budget to pay the bills. (Robinson-Briggs did not bring up the matter until after the Mapp administration had submitted its budget proposal to the Counci.)

Perhaps the most startling moment of the evening came when resident Mustafa Muhammad challenged the Council -- five of whose members are femaile -- to 'show some testicular fortitude'.

I'll report on other items later.

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  -- Dan Damon [follow]

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