The Board of Estimates met Monday night to pose questions and address concerns regarding the city’s 2013 Executive Operating Budget, focusing their discussions on rising ambulance rates, the Monona Terrace Convention Center, library funding and police operations.
Mayor Paul Soglin unveiled the budget last week with an emphasis on maintaining basic city services, strengthening neighborhoods and public safety.
Increases in the ambulance fee from $600 to $900 for residents and to $1,000 for non-residents as well as a mileage increase from $3.50 per mile to $16 are key revenue changes in the budget, Soglin said in a city statement.
Ald. Anita Weier, District 18, questioned the average cost of an ambulance trip.
“It seems like it really wouldn’t cost that much,” she said.
However, Soglin noted the last increase was in 2009. According to the statement, this will generate approximately $2.2 million.
Madison Library Director Greg Mickells spoke on behalf of the library’s budget, stressing the importance of staffing.
Mickells also spoke of the book festival, which he hopes will remain in Madison. He said he is meeting with the event organizer to discuss the possibilities of this year’s festival.
“The library is important to the community,” he said. “It [the library] is an opportunity for socialization.”
The Central Library is still under construction and will reopen in a year. Soglin said any leftover money from construction should be used for library purposes.
Monona Terrace Convention Center Executive Director Gregg McManners said there are not a lot of places to reduce expenditures. He said the terrace has seen a decrease of $400,000 in revenue since 2008.
McManners said if more money is allocated for marketing, the terrace will see an increase in revenue. He said the city needs to promote Madison as a whole.
“We need to market this destination,” he said. “There’s a lot to offer that we’re not showing to the region and the nation.”
Soglin is addressing the marketing issue with an investment of around $100,000, funded by increased room tax revenues, according to the statement.
Madison Arts Coordinator Karin Wolf is involved in the event, Make Madison Music, which works with local citizens and musicians with mini-concerts all over the city on the summer solstice.
The statement said additional funding for Dane Dances, a music video featuring Madison citizens and planning money for a new music festival will be included in the budget.
According to the statement, an additional $50,000 will be included in the Madison Police Department budget as part of the Downtown Safety Initiative, which funds for overtime in the Central District on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The statement said funding of $30,000 for the Southwest Safety Initiative will also be continued.
Central Police Chief Noble Wray said the DSI allows MPD to plan when things are going to get out of control.
“If something is occurring over a long period of time and we know it’s going to generate a great deal of overtime, we can come to the [City] Council and raise the issue.”
Soglin said these funds allow the police and the city to track how the department is doing in each neighborhood. Most of the money will be used for the Central District and Southwest District because they are the most challenging areas up until now, he said.
The BOE will further discuss the 2013 Executive Operating Budget on Tuesday and will continue until the second week in November when City Council will vote.
