Although there hasn’t been any public discussion regarding it, once again, there is an increase in pay for the mayor and members of the council being proposed in this year’s budget. This isn’t to say that the increase isn’t justified, my concern is that once again potentially controversial items are being presented in the budget that haven’t been formally discussed. Whether it’s the more than $100 million annual operating budget for the city, or a $6.3 million allocation from the federal government, each line item deserves thorough inspection and candid conversations about how they align with our priorities — especially one that has proven time and time again to ruffle feathers.

I’ve expressed my desire with the mayor and members of the council for us to have dedicated meeting time to talk about our city budget and finances, but aside from Councilwoman Felicia Solomon, the other members of our board haven’t shared that desire.