The Martin Chronicles finds it ironic that there has yet to be a public discussion of Villa Hills Mayor Mike Martin's proposed FY2012/2013 City Budget. Martin announced that his budget proposal was ready at the March City Council meeting. That was nearly two months ago. So where in the wide, wide world of sports is it?
Does Martin plan to do a first reading of his budget proposal at the upcoming May council meeting? Will he then suggest that an in-depth discussion of his budget proposal can occur at an untelevised (transparency?) June caucus meeting? Then, will he expect council members to approve his budget at the June 20 council meeting? Is that his plan? Is that his timetable?
If so, Martin is a far bigger hypocrite than we already imagined. And that is truly saying something.
How so? The Martin Chronicles has talked to several former council members and others who had the misfortune to sit through Martin's antics during previous year's budget discussions. According to everyone we spoke with, Councilman Martin would have never tolerated waiting until May to see the next fiscal year's budget proposal for the first time.
To a person, people said that under those circumstances, Martin would have railed that the mayor was attempting to ram the budget through. One said Martin surely would have reminded everyone that, "the people elected me to look out for their tax dollars. I am not being given enough time to do my job."
There would surely be hours of chest-beating, huffing & puffing, paper-shuffling, pen-tapping and preening before the cameras. Martin would propose purchasing $800 worth of bullets now to save(?!?!?!?) the $800 in next year's budget. Martin would harshly question the budgeting of $1,200 for cleaning supplies when the City only spent $1,088 for cleaning supplies the year before.
Martin would suggest that perhaps it is time for police officers to buy their own uniforms and equipment. Martin would solemnly advise everyone that "the associates" (you know them as "employees") need to pay the City's utility bills because they are the ones who benefit from it. Martin would tell everyone he received some great budget advice from someone who flagged him down on his way to the council meeting. We would all be treated to Martin's best line, "My head tells me one thing. My heart tells me something else". Again, everyone would be subjected to hours and hours of such dreadful Martin nitwittery.
Now Martin is the mayor. Last year, his response to any resistance to his irresponsible budget proposal was, "I'm the CEO. It's my decision. Deal with it. We're moving on." Oh by the way, the budget never passed. Even still, the City is floundering in a rising tide of Martin's red ink. Martin is even publicly fretting about losing his wife's(?) house as a result of his profligate over-spending. It is a disaster.
This year? We don't even know where his budget proposal is.
