The Martin Chronicles has learned that Villa Hills malfeasant Mayor Mike Martin's new City budget has been published. What does that mean? It means that it is now officially in effect. So, Martin's threatened veto has not come to pass.
Why was Martin threatening to veto his own budget? He complained that he felt has "hands were tied" by restrictions a majority of the council imposed on legal fees. As we have previously written, we applaud those on council who took those steps.
Residents should also know that council members Mary Koenig and Holly Menninger-Isenhour voted against those wise restrictions and keep that knowledge in their memory banks when they go to the polls 474 days from now. Koenig's "reasoning"? She grumbled that it would cost $500 each time a budget amendment would have to be published.
If the budget does need amending, council need only do so at the end of the fiscal year. And if the budget does need amending at the end of the current fiscal year, it will represent the third consecutive time the mismanaging Martin has missed the budget target. This despite his disingenuous claim that he "runs a tight ship".
Even so, the $500 Koenig expresses so much concern over pales in comparison to the $15,000 she wants to pour in to the seldom-used Rigney Park that abuts her own back yard. Worse yet, that $500 is a mere fiscal teaspoon compared to the Pacific Ocean of taxpayer-funded attorney bills and legal fees Martin is currently squandering.
While its hard to keep an accurate count, it appears Martin is currently using taxpayer money to fund the efforts of six attorneys. These attorneys are doing all manner of work on your dime from suing taxpayers to railroading employees. The costs could easily hit six-figure territory before its all said and done.
Council should at least conduct a public review of the legal fees at each televised meeting. Martin should be asked to explain the legal bills in detail every month. The public has every right to know.
While we're on the subject of finance, we recently reported that Martin removed Councilmember Amy Balson-a CPA-from the finance committee. Multiple sources confirm that Martin has replaced Balson with Mary Koenig (some surprise, huh?) and an unnamed teenager. While Martin claimed he wasn't getting the work he wanted from Balson, most believe the diminutive dictator simply grew tired of Balson's questions.
Here's the good news. Amy Balson can now ask Martin those same finance questions at the televised council meetings. While Martin will use his usual tap dancing ploy of saying, "I'll get that information for you"-never intending to do so-the public will at least have the chance to hear those questions.
Finally, while it a favorite American pass time to do so, don't blame the attorneys for the massive-and extremely costly-mess Martin is mismanaging. The attorneys are simply doing the work Martin is asking them to do. Martin is the one who should be held accountable for this profligate waste, again 474 days from now.
