Three of the Oxford Downtown Development Authority’s four officers resigned last week following a dispute with the village council over its 2006-07 budget.
Chairman Mark Young, Vice Chair Lisa Farlin and Treasurer Paul Cervenak all submitted letters of resignation last week after council May 23 approved a budget for the authority which included changes the DDA board did not authorize and disagreed with.
‘Council’s decision to arbitrarily add substantial operating costs to the DDA proposed budget without allowing the DDA board the opportunity of consideration or vote approval and removing legitimate items previously approved by council and the DDA board, once again shows a lack of commitment to the DDA’s goals and objectives and a lack of trust in the DDA board’s decision making,? wrote Farlin in her May 24 letter of resignation.
The DDA proposed a balanced $1.049 million budget for 2006-07. Council, which has final authority over the budget, made some changes and approved a $974,192 budget for the DDA with $74,808 as contingency or reserves.
Council’s changes to the DDA budget included eliminating $20,000 for the hiring of a part-time administrative assistant for Executive Director Amanda Cassidy, increasing the authority’s contribution for police/code enforcement downtown from $25,000 to $50,000 and increasing the DDA’s contribution for downtown maintenance and services provided by the village Department of Public Works from $45,000 to $120,000.
‘We made the DDA responsible for some of the activities that go on within the district,? said Councilman Chris Bishop at the May 23 village meeting. ‘Thus saving the village’s general fund some monies. We needed less money to run the general fund because now there’s expenses that you will be picking up.?
Council also reduced the $110,000 the DDA originally budgeted for legal fees to $10,000.
Young told this reporter he and the DDA were open to the idea of paying more for police and DPW services, something he communicated to council in a letter, but the DDA wanted input and accountability when it came to the spending, to discuss it and be able to approve it as a board.
Farlin expressed her displeasure with the fact that council’s proposed budget changes were submitted to the DDA just ‘eight days prior? to the meeting, giving the board no time to meet, vote or ‘share that information with the downtown district.?
‘There were no formal intentions put out until eight days prior. There was never a number distributed until eight days prior to today,? she told council. ‘For you to say you’re approving the budget that has been proposed ? it’s not a budget that was proposed by us.?
Bishop argued council held ‘plenty of budget sessions,? which the DDA could have attended. ‘I didn’t see the DDA at any of those budget discussions,? he said. ‘If you were at the meeting, you would have seen the intention.?
‘Intention of what? Taking more money,? Farlin replied.
Village president George Del Vigna said the budget process will have to be started earlier next year. ‘Unfortunately, this year is over,? he said.
Del Vigna noted the DDA was not shortchanged in terms of preparation time. ‘None of the other departments had any more time either,? he said.
Farlin noted the DDA originally had its ‘budget prepared in a timely fashion.?
‘Yeah, but we didn’t agree with it,? Del Vigna replied. ‘This body has the final say on the budget. You have to understand that.?
‘We didn’t agree with all of it and so we’re telling you how much money you can spend and not spend.?
Councilman Tom Benner felt the same. ‘We felt if we approved (the budget) that way, then you’d have like an open book,? he told DDA members. ‘If you come back to us with a good plan, then we can maybe amend the budget.?
In light of the resignations, the nine-member DDA board only has four members left ? Secretary Sue Bossardet, Dave Weckle, Sue McGinnis and Del Vigna.
The board already had two vacant seats prior to last week’s resignations.
As it stands right now, the DDA board does not have quorum to meet.
Young noted he still cares deeply about the downtown and would be willing to stay on the DDA’s Organization Committee, ‘if they want me.?