Fiscal Responsibility
The foremost issue facing Riverside is its budget and fiscal policies. Creating a new budget dynamic that brings village operations in line with current fiscal realities to create a sustainable budget that maintains and enhances services to residents is RCA’s top priority.
Between 2001 and 2007, village spending has increased 47%, from $6.95MM to $10.23MM. RCA believes that this skyrocketing spending over such a short period necessitates a top-down, line-by-line budget audit to identify areas of cost savings and better efficiency.
If elected, the RCA slate will:
Undertake a top-down budget analysis to identify cost savings — without service cuts — through:
– A review of both how services are provided and how Village resources are managed.
- A review of management and support positions to ensure the Village is staffed to support current realities — considering both the residents’ needs and their ability to pay.
- Perform this review with the goal of providing a better level of services to residents without having to spend more of the village budget.
Hold the line on property taxes. The RCA slate does not foresee a need to increase property taxes, does not want to raise property taxes, and has no intention of doing so if the slate is elected.
Work with the Parks and Recreation Department to ensure that it maximizes the programming that it offers Riverside residents. RCA wants the Parks and Recreation Department to not just survive, but thrive, as a self-sustaining department that does not need tax dollars to support itself. RCA feels that the Parks and Recreation Department is an important part of Riverside’s community.
Reverse the trend of spending more than the village takes in to address the so-called “structural deficit” and create a long-term, sustainable budget and level of service.
Put significant capital improvements to a referendum, undertaking multi-million dollar projects only with voter approval. If these projects are truly needed, then the village government should be able to make the case to residents.
Review the propriety of all of the village’s no-bid contracts.
Implement a project-based accounting system designed to keep track of project costs on an ongoing basis.
Identify areas where the Village can call on residents’ expertise to replace excessive spending on consultants.
“The current Village Board has maintained that Riverside has a revenue problem, and things like the TIF and recent property tax increase are a reflection of that view,” said Mike Gorman, RCA’s candidate for Village President. “The RCA slate, if elected, will look at both sides of the equation: spending and revenue. Let’s see where we can control costs while enhancing services. The Caucus-dominated boards have not performed the kind of top-down, line-by-line review that we are pledging to undertake.”