Beutler promises no property tax increase -- for now

BY DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Chris Beutler proclaimed Monday that the city’s budgeting process is in shambles. He promised if he’s elected mayor in May, he will make long-term budget cuts to prevent annual budget shortfalls -- but not by increasing the city’s property tax rate.

“We cannot ask citizens to pay more for a city government that has a broken budget process,” he said.

However, when asked whether he rules out a tax rate increase in the three other years of a mayor’s four-year term, Beutler was non-committal, saying he wouldn’t address “the distant future.”

The other two candidates for mayor, Republican Ken Svoboda and Independent Roger Yant, both have indicated they wouldn’t raise property taxes, but only Beutler has come right out and promised not to increase the property tax rate this year.

Beutler said it’s time to end Lincoln’s annual hand-wringing over budget deficit projections by making major budget cuts.

“Everything is on the table,” he said.

In December, the city budget officer projected a nearly $9 million 2007-2008 budget deficit. But the city is required by law approve a balanced budget, and will do so this summer, after a new mayor is elected.

Beutler said before doing anything else, the new mayor must restore the public’s confidence in city hall by putting the city’s “financial house in order.”

Here’s how he’d do that:

* Pass a 2007-2008 budget that contains no property tax increases.

* End what he calls “duct-tape budgeting.” The city’s budget forecast predicts deficits five years out. Beutler says the budget must be right-sized with long-term spending cuts.

* Conduct regular performance audits. He doesn’t support hiring an internal auditor, which the City Council supports, because he says that’s like putting a fox in the chicken coop.

* Review the city’s bidding processes to ensure that future contracts are free of the controversy that plagued the bid to build a call center for Verizon Wireless and build seven firetrucks for the city. For one thing, he wouldn’t have taken the city’s purchasing agent off the firetruck bid, Beutler noted.

* Lead from the top. He says the budget should reflect the mayor’s priorities, not department heads’ priorities.

* Set up an advisory committee to the public works department. The group could review the city’s snow removal plans, for example.

Beutler promised to accomplish these six objectives this year, if elected. He said once trust is restored in city hall, then a vision can be created, and then the vision can be funded.

Yant said he would “try with all my might and soul” to not only freeze the property tax rate, but roll it back to offer relief after last year’s revaluation increased property values citywide.

However, he won’t make any promises.

“I’m not promising, because you can’t promise anything,” Yant said.

Svoboda was not immediately available for comment.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.