A 0% tax increase should be the minimum. I'm thankful that 6 of the aldermen and the mayor listened to and empathize with the citizens. They get it.

I would hope that the six aldermen that voted against the latest budget proposal stand firm ahd uphold the mayors veto. It is time that the council listens to the majority of the citizens and presents a realistic, zero increase budget.

I also agree with this veto. They have the tools to reign in spending and they should use them now. If not now, when?

Non-represented city employees are already taking the pension hit. Furlough days will punish them twice. This budget is being balanced on their backs. What has been lost in these discussions is that city employees are taxpayers and homeowners also. They are being demonized, which is unfair. Many have spouses out of work. As for having the tools to reign in spending, the city most certainly does not. The unions don't contribute to their pensions for another year. Also when Walker created two classes of public employees, Fire and Police, and the unwashed masses of everyone else, he assured that cities could not easily make up the loss of state aid. Fire and Police are over half of the city workforce, yet they make up 65% of the payroll. Only some people contributing reeks of unfairness.

I believe that non-represented employees are already contributing to their pensions, and police and fire also NEED to do the same. The city has to change how it does things.
I do not believe that city employees are being demonized. We are lucky that our city has such great employees!! Some are even coming forward and talking about how to do things better and they are identifying areas of potential government waste. Like the two police officers and prominent waukesha citizen that told me they feel our Police department structure may not be quite right, possibly top heavy with too much management. We need to hear from our city employees about these kinds of things, and give them whatever support they need to be able to come forward.

Non-reps are contributing to their pensions already. Union workers will in 2013. Per Walker, Fire and Police do not have to contribute to their pensions, probably because he was fearing widespread rioting in the streets during the budget process. This is grossly unfair since they comprise the lion's share of city workers and consume 65% of the personnel budget. How about instead of furlough days, they scrap the two fire positions and the detective position that were added into the budget. These positions will contribute nothing toward their pensions, yet will force hundreds of others to take time off without pay.

Good ideas!!! The city wouldn't necessarily have to scrap the postions, but they could consider leaving them unfunded for a period of time. If you are a city resident, think about coming to speak at the Common Council meeting this Wednesday and let your thoughts be known.

He is an absolute IDIOT

The non-rep city employees have each taken a hit of around $2,000 by contributing to their pensions. This is fewer than 100 of the 500+ city employees. If the 11 furlough days that the mayor wants are enacted, they would take another hit of $1,500 -$2,000 each. Then the other 170 or so union employees would take their furlough hit. The 250+ fire and police are exempt. This budget is balanced on the backs of around 250 people, with some, the non-reps, contributing more. This is 250 people with families, who own homes, and pay taxes. This is an elitist, unfair proposal.

You missed the point completely. Can't you read!!!!

What you want to bring everybody down!!

I believe that all should share the pain equally. This includes Police and Fire. And to hit a small percentage of city employees twice is completely unfair. I have a mortgage and taxes to pay. I have a family to care for. 11 furlough days is the loss of more than one paycheck. This is on top of the pension hit. When I lose that one paycheck should I tell the bank I can't pay the mortgage, the city I'll be short on property taxes, or should I request free food at Pick n Save? If everyone contributed to their pension the budget would easily be balanced. We all pay property taxes and they equate to a level of service that we all seem to enjoy. How many will complain when workers are furloughed and rolling closures mean that the streets don't get plowed, the parks are a mess, city hall isn't open, and you can't get something from the library.

All other feelings aside--most of you really feel your taxes should go down? When you go to Starbucks or Kohls or buy a pack of smokes or a six pack of beer you seriously think the price should go down just because the economy is not what you want it to be? Haven't you guys ever heard of inflation? Don't you think the Cities price of doing business has gone up over the last few years as well? How many of you really can't afford a $27 dollar increase? I am not in favor of wasteful spending, but come on! This whole mindset people are in right now just kills me.

I know people who are making 70-80% of what they were a few years ago. I know people who have been unemployed for 6+ months. Again, aren't furlough days better than being terminated or having a co-worker terminated? You may have a mortgage, but so do all of the other taxpayers that are struggling and many of whom have also taken a more significant cut in wages and benefits than is being asked of these city employees.

It is not about "affording" the increase. People can afford an increase of $27. They can also afford an increase of $100, $500 & $1000 as well, but it does not mean it is justified and should be done. This is a principled stance with people saying that our government needs to cut spending instead of continuing to raise taxes. It is about living within ones means. The citizens have to do it and so should their government at all levels.

If you wish to debate which city employees need to be included in these plans, you can open that up for debate if you wish. However, this proposal is what is currently on the table.

And @ c. We are just asking for taxes to be held at 0% which is just being flat, not going down.

11 furlough days is not even 1 day off per month.

One issue here is financial responsibility. The citizens have clearly asked for a balanced budget and a 0% tax increase.

The other issue is fairness, fairness to the over 25,000 Waukesha taxpaying families. That is who our elected officials work for.

The people being furloughed are home owning, tax paying families also. 96 of them are paying around $2,000 toward their pension. Another 150 will in another year. 250, Fire and Police, will not. That 250 F&P account for 2/3 of the city personnel budget. Balancing the budget using half of the city employees is not fair. Perhaps the open positions should not be funded. Perhaps the buses that carry nothing but air from one end of the city to the other should be downsized or eliminated.

Let me make this even simpler. The boss walks in to your place of employment. He picks 50% of the employees, the 50% that make 66% of the salaries. He says, I like you people a lot. You get to keep all of your pay and benefits. He then addresses the next 30% of the employees. He says, I don't like you people so much, I'm docking each of you $2,000 next year. He then says to the final 20% of the employees, I really don't like you people, I'm docking each of you $4,000 next year.

Dean,
At the end of 2012 in all likelihood there will only be 2 city represented employee contracts left to negotiate, police and fire. Even if all the other represented employees vote to re-certify they can only negotiate base pay to the cost of living. If Waukesha city employees think that's unfair, to carry the water for police and fire, tell police and fire fighters.
I'm telling you this in plain language; kitchen table political discussions across Waukesha County are supporting your Mayor for admitting he made a mistake on the garbage fee, listened to his constituents, and support his tough stance against the 9 alderman wanting to raise the levy, a significantly unpopular decision. It would be political suicide for any alderman to lead or vote for a veto override. I've seen dumber mistakes made, but not many.