Betty Hill, Capistrano Beach
As an observer of the meetings of the Financial Review Committee, it appears that this supposedly “independent” committee, with a mandate from the City Council to analyze the financial condition of the city, is being directed by Mike Killebrew, the acting city manager, who also happens to be the person responsible for the city’s financial statements and practices under review. Ensuring the Committee’s independence should be paramount since it is crucial to its credibility and the reliability of its findings.
The reports being presented at the meetings, based on the city’s financial statements, show that rising expenses will exceed the city’s expected income unless preventative measures are taken to avoid a crisis in the future. In fact, deficit spending has occurred in many of the past 10 years and is projected again for this fiscal year ending June 30. The city’s total government funds are declining dramatically due to capital improvement projects and other expenditures.
At the last Financial Review Committee meeting, a vote by three members appointed by Councilmen Viczorek, Tomlinson and Muller determined that these findings would not be presented to the public at the April 18 City Council meeting. The public deserves transparency, accountability and reports based on an independent review of the facts. Most importantly, the Committee should make the public fully aware of the current financial condition of the city.
To submit a letter to the editor, email editorial@danapointtimes.com.
Discussion about this post