A House (Or Hall) Divided

It's pretty clear that the mayor and the City Council are more than at odds over the budget. It's looking like open hostility between the two is going to rule the day. Here are the key points:

“I remain open and willing to discuss any budgetary issues with the council, but
let me make it very clear, the budget is not a negotiable instrument. If they
disagree with aspects of my budget, they should make the cuts, which are their
only legal authority,” Mayor Dan Mylott said, according to the Telegram.

“He told me he would work with me. Now he appears not to be open to any
suggestion. He’s holding everyone hostage, but we are not willing to back down
to threats this year," Jody Joseph told the Telegram.

No matter how you cut it, them's fightin' words. Let the political fireworks begin.

More importantly, this isn't necessarily good news for Fitchburg. First, it appears the Council has taken the politically expedient stand of cutting funding for services wherever possible. While that plays well with the cut taxes crowd, we're not sure that's what is best for Fitchburg, which continues to struggle to provide simple things like, you know, textbooks and safety downtown. Note that Joseph points directly to the PD in the Telegram story. Should Fitchburg really be cutting back on police costs? This isn't a simple argument.

Additionally, a fractured Council-mayor relationship does the city no good. Fitchburg doesn't need hurdles like bickering legislative and executive branches to stall things. The budget issue will likely drag right up to the July 1 deadline, taking focus away from other issues that need attention.

Without a doubt, the budget is the most important thing the mayor and the Council deal with each year. It's not a thing to be taken lightly. But this process is loaded with politics and ill will at this point. In the end, Fitchburg will not be making progress when this is all said and done.