Budget: Bond Savings and "Collective Bargaining Light"



			Budget: Bond Savings and "Collective Bargaining Light" In light of our budget woes, I want to discuss two recent votes with long-term budget implications: • Bond Financing – Continuing to implement the 2006 Bond Program • Meet and Confer – Prelude to collective bargaining

			Bond Financing I recently voted to support a proposal by the city manager that will save the city about $10 million next year in debt service. I want to tell you about it because it allows us to proceed with needed infrastructure improvements while taking advantage of lower construction costs. I had not supported the issuance of this additional debt prior to this proposal. In 2006 the citizens of Dallas voted for a package of $1.3 billion in bonds for streets, flood control, parks, libraries, public safety and a variety of other initiatives. Since then, the economy has taken a nosedive leading to both problems and opportunities. The problems relate to debt service – the additional cost of paying off the bonds that comes from our tax revenues. It is difficult to add more debt service when we are short on revenue for our operating budget. The opportunity is that it is cheaper to build during a recession... Read Ann's full article at annmargolin.com

			Meet and Confer I was recently the lone vote against an item that came to the City Council. In 2009 the Texas legislature passed HB 2307 requiring cities to engage in a process called “meet and confer” with police and firefighters or allow the citizens to vote on whether to engage in this process. “Meet and confer” requires that the city designate a team of representatives to meet with a team designated by police officers and firefighters to discuss issues such as salaries and working conditions. It has been referred to as “collective bargaining light.” Although “meet and confer” does not require the parties to reach an agreement, the process has resulted in substantial budget increases for the cities engaging in the process. Austin, which engages in this process, has the highest police pay in Texas – 20% above the state average. Fort Worth established meet and confer discussion in September, 2008. The police team requested a 30% raise over three years. The city agreed to a 12.7% raise... Read Ann's full article at annmargolin.com

			Schrieber Crime Watch Presents District Attorney Candidate Forum - April 10th Saturday, April 10, 2010 from 2:00 PM - Doors open 1:30 W.T. White High School Auditorium 4505 Ridgeside Drive (Between Welch and Crestline), Dallas Forum Moderator Ann Margolin, District 13 City Council Member Candidates Democrat: Craig Watkins, Dallas County District Attorney Republican: Danny Clancy, Attorney and Former Judge For additional information call Bob Kelly, Schreiber Crime Watch Chair, 972-233-5396 or view this invitation.

			Get out that fat-tired bike, cruiser, mountain bike or road bike! No need to get in a hurry and raise the stress levels or miss out on the fun along the way. The Tour Dallas is a bike tour, not a race. So, relax and enjoy the ride ... then, when you get to the finish line, enjoy fresh, hot pizza, a cold bottle of water and enjoy the day. It all begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 3, right in front of Dallas City Hall.

			Let's be safe out there... As you may know, red light cameras have been installed around the City of Dallas, including the Forest Lane & Inwood Road intersection. Many people are pleased that the red light cameras will discourage drivers from running red lights and ticket those that do. Please know that the red light cameras are also equipped with video cameras to capture and ticket other red light infractions, such as turning right-on-red without a stop. Car wheels must come to a complete stop for a $75 ticket not to be issued for an improper right-on-red turn.

			Sit. Stay. Roll over ... to the Cotton Bowl on April 11 Next month, Fair Park unleashes its first of two free, family-friendly Dog Bowl events at Cotton Bowl Stadium. On Sunday, April 11, one of the most historic football fields in America transforms into a giant-size dog park. Open to people and pups of all sizes, save the date, and fetch your best four-legged friend for a romp where legends have also, um... made their mark.

			Remember: You count By now, 2010 Census questionnaires should have been delivered by U.S. Mail to all District 13 households. If you have received your form and not yet completed and mailed it, please do so on or before April 1. Encourage your friends and family to do the same. Need to know why it's important? Here are some facts. Why the April 1 deadline? More households completing and mailing the form means fewer, more expensive Census workers are needed to collect the information in person. Mailing your Census questionnaire by April 1 saves our government money. That counts, too.