ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL

One way to balance the city budget amidst a recession is to switch the funds around? According to the 9/20/09 Times-Call, Longmont city officials are pursuing a plan to spend 8.5 million dollars to add to the city’s open space inventory, but upon going to the cupboard old Mother Hubbard found not nearly enough cash in the open-space jar to pull off the deal. Only about half enough, the report said. So the city is thinking of tapping three allied funds to help make up the difference.

The city water fund
The city streets fund
The city storm drainage fund

Funding open space purchases out of the water fund? What a marvelous source of revenue with which to buy land – just raise everybody’s water bill over and over and watch the money roll in.

And the streets fund? Once the bleeding starts, it will never stop.

Same for the storm drainage fund, which may be even more sensitive because it involves voter-approved bonds. Was there language in the ballot proposal that would allow this fund to be used for land purchases beyond the minimum amount needed for completing the projects?

It's not good business to be raiding funds in non-emergencies.