Despite my complaints about the new format Courier News' print, especially in the advertisement section and specifically the bridge column, I am most happy with the latest reincarnation. Plainfield is once again receiving first rate media coverage. Occasionally the articles are a day late, that is probably due to space limitations.However in the Editorials and News columns Plainfield has not enjoyed such perceptive coverage in years. A case in point, today's (Friday) editorial about the Council's reaction to the CBAC presentation.
Plainfield Plaintalker today also is devoted to the budget. As pointed out, the process for years- at least two decades of which I am aware has been at best amateurish and sloppy. We could question the entire fiscal control operations practiced by various administrations at times as bordering on non existent, Certainly many of the accountant's recommendations have never been implemented.
This is not only the fault of the present administration but of two decades of previous administrations revolving door responsible fiscal officers. The positions seem to have become political bouncing balls.
The switch from a logical calender year to an illogical fiscal year in view of the State.s policy of December fund allocation determinations accounting was never adequately explained. We were told that the State requested the use of a Fiscal Year. Granted for accounting purposes that could be acceptable but why start in July, there is no legal basis and Feb.1 would be more reasonable if the Calender year were unworkable.
I presume that it would be possible that the 2009 Council could pass a mandate that the next budget due July 1, 2009 be an interim one with a 2010 year budget be prepared for that calender year. This is doable but probably would take several Ordinances amending the Charter.
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