Budgeting for the past

The next mayor will have to work, at least for the first year of his term, with a tool he hasn't chosen.

By PEGGY CIDOR
As the city council and mayoral elections near, Jerusalem residents can hear more details about the candidates' plans for bringing relief and improvement on a gamut of issues confronting the capital, from education and transportation to renovating and cleaning, along with any other wonderful solution to heal this city's wounds. Indeed, it seems as if all the candidates have suddenly decided that they are pro-environment and totally dedicated to the needs of residents, especially in terms of affordable housing and job opportunities. One wonders where they have been for the past few years, as we await that trivial thing we call election day to turn our life into a real Shangri-La. That said, perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to take a closer look at some facts on the ground, the sort that can be crucial for fulfilling the candidates' dreams: the budgets and financial means that will allow - or prevent - our dearly elected from realizing their seductive promises. The first thing that comes to mind is the lack of coordination between the election date and the timetable for the city budget. At best, we will know who our next mayor is by November 12, and in the case of a second round, only two weeks later. Meanwhile, the financial staff at Kikar Safra has been busy working on the 2009 budget for a few weeks now. You might be tempted to believe that this is a rare example of the seriousness of high-ranking professionals toward their duties. Well, maybe, but still, the bottom line is that the next mayor will have to work, at least for the first year of his term, with a tool he hasn't chosen. A little confused? According to Deputy Mayor and Finance Committee head Eli Simhayof (Shas), "Everything is done according to the rules. The treasurer and his professional staff are working on the 2009 budget on the basis of the 2008 one, and the approval of this budget is scheduled for the last week of December, which is after the elections." In other words, the financial staff meets with the heads of municipal departments to learn if there is good reason to change their present budgets. If not - and my guess is that no department head is able to foresee a radical change unless a councillor decides to shift priorities, not to mention that such decisions are the prerogative of the elected - the (inflation-adjusted) budget will be the same as last year. By the book? Probably, but still puzzling. What this means is that the new mayor, who has in mind different plans than the current one, will need first and foremost a budget adapted to his vision. If, instead, he must work with a budget conceived according to somebody's else vision, where does that leave us? At best, with a waste of a precious year, and at worst, with a complete loss of any change as changes that do not occur in the first year of a term, rarely do later. As the mayor's six deputies and the opposition members are busy with mayoral and city council campaigns, it seems that only Mayor Uri Lupolianski - who so far is not running - is still involved in some kind of activity concerning the benefit of the city. Meanwhile, residents of the fifth floor - the high-ranking municipal officials, including the director-general and treasurer - remain focused on next year's budget. The same budget that the next mayor - along with the candidates, none of whom has been involved in its preparation - will have to get along with. Promises? Changes? A different order of priorities? These will have to wait - at least one more year. The final list of candidates had not yet been published at press time, but MK Meir Porush commented on the problem. "This question should be addressed to the Knesset, which decided upon this [election] date, in November. Of course, this creates a difficulty with which, when I am elected, I will have to deal. In any case, I am determined to promote my plans, to alleviate the housing problems and lack of jobs in the city to prevent the ongoing exodus of young people." Arkadi Gaydamak's office responded that there would be enough time to change the budget, if necessary. "The budget will be approved on December 31. That gives the next elected mayor about a month and a half to introduce changes according to his priorities," a spokeswoman said. Nir Barkat did not respond by press time.