As the revenue spins

As Larry McCavitt said at last night's City Council meeting, "I'm really at a loss."

Hey - you wonder where all the money the city rakes in goes, this is one of those places.

Donna Holaday, chair of the Council's Budget & Finance Committee and candidate for mayor, put forth an order that established a "Regional Health Services Revolving Fund relative to shared services."

This fund is at the discretion of the Director of Public Health (you know, the one that's leaving) and the mayor and was written so it could not exceed $30,000 (that was changed so it was only the amount Newburyport actually owes someone or some other town).

I'm no budget & finance person, but all I hear about in City Council meeting these days is this revolving fund and that revolving fund; and apparently if money comes in, it should go into this revolving fund because otherwise it can't go into the general fund this year because tax rate has been certified.

These revolving funds, as I said, are at the discretion of the dept. head and under the direction of the mayor. So next year we'd be hearing about how we had to spend the money in this revolving fund before June 30 because ... yada, yada, yada.

What I want to know is, where is the $10,122.17 in "Newburyport Net Gain" from the 60-day temporary shared services agreement that nobody knew about?

I'm requesting from Councillor Holaday the certified city budget for 2010.

Au revoir.