NorCo Council Tables Routine Budget Amendment, Goffredo Wants Fiscal Boss to Resign

At last week's meeting, NorCo Council voted to table a routine budget amendment ordinance by a 7-2 vote, with Council members Jeff Warren and Kelly Keegan dissenting. Council members claimed they were never provided with enough information even though the administration had previously provided a 46-page explanation of the changes. This budget amendment also went through Council member John Brown's Finance Committee. They had plenty of information from which to make an informed decision. Yet Brown and Council member John Goffredo added they would oppose the amendment as a protest "until the administration gets in line and recognizes the power of this body ... ." They are completely willing to allow county government to grind to a halt unless Executive Lamont McClure cedes his administrative authority and lets them run the county. And when Fiscal Affairs Director Steve Barron attempted to answer questions that President Lori Vargo Heffner had about the amendments, most of which were answered to her satisfaction, Goffredo said Barron should resign. He also shut Barron down when he attempted to defend himself, telling him to sit down.

Budget Amendments are routinely presented about two or three times a year. They are discussed in a Finance Committee. The administration supplies Council with written explanations of every change. So it is actually dishonest for them to claim this was suddenly sprung on them. 

They complain that the Executive and Fiscal Affairs Director are failing to do their jobs, or more precisely, failing to do it the way they want it done. But are they doing their job? They had all the information they needed. They also had time to ask for further explanation at a committee meeting in advance of the vote. They just failed to do their homework and then tried to blame it on the administration. They'd rather just shut the government down and attempt to make political points in advance of an election. 

Though budget amendments are routine, they fund important human services to protect our children and elderly from abuse and neglect. They fund remediation that help our children from getting lead poisoning in some older homes, especially in the slate belt.   

As powerful as a County Council might be, it has no power to administer. Though Council controls the purse strings, it has no power to decide how the elections office is run. It has no authority to instruct the Executive about how Gracedale should be administered or how many homes should be remediated for lead. That is the province of the Executive branch. 

Goffredo denied politics has anything to do with his willingness to cripple county government. " I don't give two flying whatevers about political season. I'm not running for h ---. This is an inconvenience at this point cuz I feel like we come here, and all we do is sling stuff at the wall. I don't care about anybody's electoral race."

Really?

Goffredo donated $1,000 to Tom Giovanni's Executive campaign. That's pretty amazing for someone who doesn't give two flying whatevers.  And as Council member Jeff Warren reminded him, Goffredo is himself on the ballot. 

Brown and Goffredo like to complain about the administration's failure to communicate, and in some instances, they could be correct. But not here. They had a 46-page explanation and a Finance Committee meeting. They just failed to prepare.