Borough council members clarify views on budget

To the Editor:

We believe that there has been a mistaken interpretation of what we both said about the budget at the December Borough Council meeting. Our statements were truncated, and so we want to make sure that our meaning that night is clear.

We both appreciate the work our colleagues on council put forth on this and other issues.

However, we both wanted to emphasize two primary points and write now to be sure they are plainly understood. While we each accentuated one of those points, we agree strongly on both.

Chuck raised the concern that we need to set priorities more rigorously. Understanding that there will always be things that would be good — or even very good — to have, these budget items must still be compared to the things we need to have.

Michael raised the concern that government transparency is essential. While deliberate encouragement of public involvement can be noisy, it leads to better decisions and makes clear the deliberations and reasoning.

In a budget year where we were putting through a tax increase, we need to concentrate on what we need. We need to explain — and listen — to our neighbors as we make these decisions.

Jenkintown is a community of neighbors with a broad range of incomes. Public resources may be substantial, but they are not unlimited. While as a whole we were able to reduce the original proposed budget during the hearings, we both believe there are specific rocks left unturned.

We hope that in the next year council will set objectives that reflect these priorities and that the process itself will be readily accessible.