Taken for Grant-ed
By now you know the City-County Council passed the Mayor’s $1.22 billion spending plan. There’s more money for public safety, fewer dollars for parks and the there is $16 million in the rainy day fund. No big shocker and most measures passed with bi-partisan support.
However one point of contention Monday night that did somewhat surprise me was that my Democratic friends made a big fuss over anti-crime grant funding. They say the city was supposed to have spent $15 million on crime prevention since 2008, but instead only spent $7 million.
They accused the Ballard administration of violating the intent of the public safety tax ordinance which they say called for spending $5 million per year for three years on crime prevention programs. Note, despite all the words and talk of crime prevention, such language was never included in the ordinance when it was passed back in 2007. You can read the actual ordinance yourself.
I can understand my Democratic friends being upset but all this could have been avoided had they written the ordinance to guarantee the funding go for crime prevention. Maybe they will know better for next time.
And while we’re on the subject, maybe someone will raise a fuss about the Marion County Courts that took public safety tax money that was “intended” to create an extra criminal court to deal with jail overcrowding, but instead went for an additional family court.
