NSBNEWS.net video by Sera King. New Smyrna Beach resident Bill Koleszar gave city commissioners an ultimatum: Either cut the budget by $1 million or face voter wrath. The commissioners did as he asked.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- A retired police chief armed with 40 years of budgeting experience and backed by more than 200 supporters told the New Smyrna Beach City Commission at a Set. 24 public hearing that an 11.2 percent mill-rate increase was not going to fly and that there would be hell to pay come election time or even sooner through voter recalls for any of them who didn't heed his warnings. He got his way with $1 million subsequently cut "
"This is not the time to raise budgets," 12-year resident Bill Koleszar told the commission. "It's time to cut. Everybody in this room knows what the economic situation is. in the country and in local politics. This year is different. These people behind me are not going to put up with the 11.2 (percent) millage increase you are proposing in the new budget. You can decrease services, you can eliminate services. I don't really care. I don't have a dog in this fight."
And then Koleszar's words got tougher: "This year, for those individuals who raise the millage rate, 11.2 percent, there is going to be consequences. I'm retired. I've got time on my hands, money in my pockets and I'm a retired attorney... If you've got the vote, you win and if you don't got the vote you lose. The ballot box is the name of the game. If you've got the vote, you in. If you don't got the vote, you lose. The ballot box is the name of the game whether that's exercise in removal or recalling elected officials pursuant to state statute."
Mayor Sally Mackay and Commissioners Jim Hathaway, Randy Richenberg, Jack Grasty and Lynne Plaskett all voted in favor of keeping the mill rate of $3.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value intact. And that meant $1 million had be pared from the budget by Oct. 1 in order to stay at 2008's 3.1 as opposed to the 3.477 per $1,000 City Manager John Hagood had recommended.
Hagood's $24.1 million spending plan for the general fund for fiscal 2008-09 was only 2 percent more than the previous year's $23.9 million, but because assessments were down 20 percent, it meant the city would have to raise more in taxes -- the mill rate -- in order to generate the revenue needed to support his budget request.
Hathaway said he believed Hagood's staff could cut $1 million, with the police and fire budgets accounting for half of the spending. "I think we've heard a clear message," Hathaway said. "I think we can do it. We're looking at a million bucks. Tell staff you've got a million dollars to cut . Cut it and we'll take a look at it."
Plaskett hinted at dipping into reserves, but didn't speak further on the issue.
Prior to the unanimous vote to cut a cool million, Koleszar did not mince words, saying there would be "consequences" for those who ignore the will of the citizens, adding: That's all I've got to say. I've got two questions. Is there any part of what I said that you don't understand or are there any questions for me that you don't understand before I sit down?"
For the next meeting, Hagood had subsequently cut very little from public safety and took $800,000 from reserves to get to the $1 million threshold in cuts, but Koleszar had accomplished his goal.
Weeks later, Commissioner Richenberg told his colleagues, the mayor and dozens in the audience that he felt "ashamed" and "bullied" into the vote.