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Because some times you can't attack the big things. It is consistent in all the reports that I have seen in two years, or most of the reports I have seen in two years I have ---- been here, or less than two years, that the money is already planned. We can cut. We haven't. We haven't planned for that potential expenditure of nearly one million dollars for new police officers. And just about every single one of us up here campaigned on that issue, we need more police officers. We need public safety. Yet we have no plan whatsoever in 30-60 days when that report comes in. I can't support this budget based on those reasons." Councilwoman Buchan said, "My comments are on a completely different vein. I will be supporting the budget, but I just wanted to share with you all that I have heard a great number of concerns about Redwood City 2000. And perceptions that perhaps that organization isn't doing as much as it could do. Just to let you know that some of those perceptions are out there, and I want to become a bit more interested in Redwood City 2000 in the next year. I will support the budget but there are questions." Councilman Claire said, "I know that Councilman Leipzig was not on the Council when the two-year budget was first put together... The time to take a look traditionally, at programs you don't want, cuts you want to make, and things you don't like, is during the process of reviewing the budget during the work study session. That process has always been open to the public, and the public has always ---- come and voiced its opinions about programs they wanted most of the time. Sometimes, programs they did not want. But the fact of the matter is, I for one, am quite familiar with budgets, certainly find the process to be one which I can participate in and get my points across during the budgetary process. This is my sixteenth or so budget, and I know from that long history of budgets, ranging back to 1978, that the people of this community have come to those budget hearings many times and voiced their opinions about what we should and should not do. One also has to understand that there are two sides to the budget: One is the General Fund budget which is the budget we have a lot of discretion over. Most of that budget is for salaries and police and file department. That is an important issue for us. If we want to augment those departments the money has to come from some place else because we can't print money like the federal government, nor can we run a deficit budget. There is a huge chunk out there that is for capital improvements, and that is up to the City Council.... Councilman Leipzig is right. We are going to have a study come forward soon that may suggest that we add more police officers. Where do we get the money? We are going to have to forego capital improvements and/or cut the fire department, and/or cut the park and rec department, and/or, and/or. Budgets are not chiseled in stone. They are a planning tool. And they can be changed at any time the City Council wishes to change them. That needs to be made very clear to the public. If a report comes in and the report says we need ten new police officers and four members of this City Council agree with that report, we are going to give ---- marching orders to the staff to find that money, and give us some recommendations where that money can come from. The money can come from ending balances. We REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 JULY 14, 1997 MINUTES Page No. 449 PAGE 12