MASON CITY – The Mason City council has in its possession a proposed list of cuts from this year’s budget that they are looking at to reach the $295,000 needed in order to avoid raising taxes on property owners, and Human Rights tops the list.
As far back as 2010, Mayor Eric Bookmeyer and Councilman Scott Tornquist have long zeroed in on eliminating or crippling Human Rights in Mason City. The current state of the budget and lack of public outcry on the matter may give them the opening they need to put the issue to bed and secure their goal.
Other items on the list of potential cuts or cost-cutting measures are: eliminating a compensation study; opening the public pool a week late; reducing police equipment and a police officer position; reducing wages of employees; eliminating seasonal help for the parks department; eliminating a position from the fire department; and closing the commons area in the library.
Left off the proposed list of cuts is funding for the North Iowa Corridor agency, slated to receive $105,000. The Corridor is tasked with bringing jobs and economic development to Cerro Gordo County. Mason City pays by far the lion’s share of the funding to the group. City Administrator Brent Trout and Corridor Director Brent Willet ignored questions from NIT Publisher Matt Marquardt asking for an explanation on the return on investment to the people of Mason City for funding the agency with over a half a million dollars over the past 5 years.
Not in the discussion are expenditures over the past year that helped precipitate the $295,000 budget shortfall. Tens of thousands of dollars were approved by 6-0 votes by the council – and at times very little discussion – for downtown sculptures, a remodeling of City Hall, Micro-Enterprise, Blue Zones, incentives to businesses and the Corridor, among other items.
The budget will be discussed at a 6 PM work session Thursday at City Hall.
