Huntington gets what it pays for

It's not just a Huntington problem . . .

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has unveiled a 2009 budget proposal that would lay off about 40 city employees, freeze hiring in the police and fire departments and close most public pools.

Finkbeiner distributed copies of the operating budget plan to city council members on Saturday night. Toledo faces a $10 million budget deficit.

Finkbeiner says the layoffs across all departments except police and fire would save $2.5 million.

The proposal would also eliminate 36 vacant jobs to save $2.6 million and cancel police cadet and new firefighter classes to save $5.3 million.Finkbeiner has even proposed cutting his own $136,000 salary by 15 percent.The proposal also requires the city to use $2 million of its $6.4 million rainy day fund.

My thoughts: Few people who know money management go into politics. Look at the outgoing and incoming Huntington City Council and the mayoral administration. What corporation would take people who know so little about financial planning and put them in charge of a $40 million-a-year enterprise.

It's like Huntington's KineticPark and similar developments. People get elected to public office, have access to taxpayer money and think they are big-time real estate developers.

I'll admit right here that I am not ready to manage a $40 million a year enterprise such as Huntington city government. The few people I know who are able to do that are not willing to take a pay cut to take the mayor's job.

That's why Huntington should rethink its city charter and consider a return to the city manager form of government. Or incoming Mayor Kim Wolfe should think about hiring a trained and experienced manager type to be his second-in-command, even if that means spending a lot of money for such a person.

You get what you pay for. If you don't believe that, look at Huntington city government.