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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Huckleberries Online

Mayor Bloem Answers Anti-LCDC Ad

Item: An anonymous group, named Concerned Taxpayers of Kootenai County, sent the color flyer above to CDA residents over the weekend. Mayor Sandi Bloem responds to the questionable statements on the flyer below.

DFO: Anti-urban renewal individuals claim that the city was $12M over budget last year?
Mayor Sandi Bloem: No, we were $18M over budget b/c we weren't sure in last calendar year that library built and bond money (library and the fire station) would be spent in calendar year. This is simply bookkeeping. The budget is adjusted accordingly. At beginning of year, we didn't know we'd be contracting with Kootenai County for them to do billing for us. These are things that happen during the year that are unforeseen at the time and you adjust budget. It has nothing to do with tax increases. It doesn't mean we spent $18M we didn't have.

DFO: Did you spend $50,000 on downtown parties?
SB: There are dollars given to downtown to support activies. Certainly not downtown parties.

Weekend thread on same subject here

Online interview continues below



Huckleberries Online

D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.