The third and last \Build Your Own Budget"" forum was held Thursday night, giving a sparse crowd of citizens an opportunity to structure the city budget in tandem with the city alders and Mayor Dave Cieslewicz.
The three-part series focused on a $4 million budget gap that needs to be filled for 2006.
While property taxes engulf $6 million of the $10 million in Madison's annual costs, that is not enough to stifle the city's growing expenditures.
""The Build Your Own Budget is new this year, and we've been around the city and have tried to get out of downtown and try to have these budget workshops in different places,"" Cieslewicz said. ""It's different from a public hearing where you get your three minutes and sit down, it's a way of rolling up your sleeves and confronting some of the same issues that I get to confront.""
Cieslewicz offered several goals for thought during the open discussion including long term fiscal health, high quality services to Madison residents, maintaining a strong commitment to public safety and keeping long term project goals during times of fiscal hardship.
""Our goal is to keep good public policy in the long run and that maybe means that they are bad policies in the short run, that may be true but we hope people recognize that,"" Cieslewicz said.
Issues raised at the discussion ranged from elimination of crossing guards to an increase in Madison Metro bus fares. Discussion also yielded a thorough dialogue on increasing accredited childcare in Madison.
""Twenty-five years ago Madison set up a system of accreditation where they literally supported high-quality accredited childcare in centers and homes,"" resident Joan Laurion said. ""City- funded children can only go to accredited centers, so if we cut the city childcare tuition money we are cutting out the ground from under families, low-income families, who can get their kids into high-quality care.""
Laurion added that those same poverty-stricken children are already at a high risk of failure in the school system but with the help of Madison's childcare system those children are at a decreased risk.
Another workshop attendant emphasized the importance of raised jay-walking fines and parking fines to increase city revenue.
""An increase in parking fines, and fines for putting leaves in the middle of the road would help a lot,"" said one attendant.
The Madison Metro also drew attention from some attendees, namely those who receive discounts on bus passes through the university.
""I would personally favor an increased rate on the busses if it helped the budget,"" said one University of Wisconsin employee.
The city also has a ""rainy day fund"" of approximately $29 million, which is thought of by Cieslewicz as an untouchable for several fiscal reasons including a loss of credibility among lenders.
