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A week ago several volunteers and public servants felt hopelessly unappreciated when the Elkins City Council Finance Committee proposed a plan to cut the heart out of the City budget by reducing funding for "outside" agencies by 60% or more. Many of us worried that our programs would end. March 17 when the City Council met to consider the budget, the Council Chamber was full of people who wanted to have some say about the budget cuts during public comment.
It was a test of our democratic process, and I was glad to see that everyone there seemed to respect the slow and complicated workings of government and to honor the responsibilities of other individuals in this time of civil discourse. Speakers would preface their remarks by saying, "With all due respect," before they offered a conflicting opinion from another point of view.
The City proposal for unexpected budget changes was devastating to organizations that function on very small budgets. They have had to apply for grants to be able to offer services to our community. City Council cannot collect enough tax money from our small population to pay for all the free labor done by local volunteers.
I have been engaged in some of these volunteer groups starting with Elkins Historic Landmark in 1998, Friends of Trees (2007), and the Elkins Tree Board (2008), and Kump House (2008 - now). City clerks, city council members, and mayors come and go, but few have been able to make real changes in the system. Over time some of the patterns of inefficiency have become more and more obvious.
In 24 years the only significant structural change in City personnel organization that I have seen was the creation of the City operations manager position by then Mayor Judy Guye. Developing that position gave Elkins one person who knew what was going on in all the various departments within the City. Coordination of operations and planning for Fire Fighters, Parks & Recreation, Police, Streets, Sewers, Solid Waste, and many other agencies became possible. Now at least one person can see the larger patterns that impact City business; however, Elkins is still a long way from reducing the redundant functions of all the separate City organizations.
Mayor Marco is right that Elkins needs to pay more to City employees if we hope to retain the expertise that our well-trained professionals bring to the fire department, police force, etc. Personnel reorganization and other changes are needed to make the City budget more efficient.
For example, trees are the most noticeable and long lasting type of beautification in an urban community. Trees also reduce cooling and heating costs for business owners and residents. Most importantly, trees are the best weapon we have against global warming. Elkins could have a City arborist and better tree care if the Tree Board, Parks & Recreation, Street Department, and Davis & Elkins College worked together to pay for tree care personnel.
Redundancy could also be reduced if landscaping, sidewalk repair, snow removal, and other functions were consolidated. The City of Elkins could work more effectively with "outside" institutions to cut costs for the benefit of the whole community.