Beaumont City Council has Until October 31st to Change Their Budget and Save Their Employee’s Jobs.
By: Libi Uremovic | Original Article at patch.com
On September 15, 2015 Beaumont City Council voted to eliminate two dozens of their own employees in order to pay exorbitant fees charged by Consultants and Lawyers and to continue to pass out freebies to the private sector.
For years the City paid private landscaping companies ridiculous amounts of money, not the City claims they can not pay their own groundsmen and maintenance workers.
Council has cut the line workers of Administration while continuing to pay former City Manager Alan Kapanias an exorbitant salary.
The Police Association has stood before Council twice explaining that their Department was corrupt and had to sue for violation of their Civil Rights. Council ignored the Police Association and now cuts their Staff, but continues to pay Lawyewrs to fight their Civil Rights Lawsuit.
Many employees live in housing developments and pay Mello Roos taxes. Council wants to cut their job, but continue to overcharge property taxes so there’s more to funnel to lawyers and consultants.
The line workers did their job and were in no way responsible for the City’s financial situation and should not be the ones bearing the burden.
Council has many other options available to balance the budget without cutting staff:
End the WRCOG TUMF Appeal – $8,300/day + lawyers’ fees saved
Fire Kapanicas – $1,000/day with benefits saved.
Limit ‘feel good’ lawyers and consultant time to $20,000/month – $60,000/month savings with Pinkney alone.
If Council doesn’t now state law and basic parliamentary procedure they need to pick up a book, not pay Pinkney $250/hr to give them a seminar.
Council can change the budget any time they want. Council has 31 days before they eliminate 24 of their own employees.