My taxes are paid.

How can a commissioner discuss the Budget when his own taxes are overdue?  A sitting commissioner receives $3500 annually from the Municipality. How can my commissioner answer the Commission President when asked what to do about the unbalanced budget - raises taxes or cut services, when he doesn't pay his own? 

5/10/11 Commission Discussion Session Part 2 Podcast

End of Discussion Sessions as We Know Them

Tonight was the last Discussion Session to be held in the Caucus Room.  End of an era.  From now on, the Commission Discussion Sessions will be televised in the Commission Chambers, just as the regular and adjourned Commission meetings have been televised since the spring of 2009. Thanks goes out to Dan Miller, Raja, Dave Brumfield, and Matt Kluck for voting this through.  Joe DeIuliis pointed out that he was against the televised meetings on October 13, 2008, and he voted against broadcasting the Discussion Meetings tonight, as well. We know where Joe stands on transparency.  We know where I do too.

You can hear the vote about televising the discussion meetings here approximately fifty minutes into the meeting.

When you can't have closed meetings, schedule conflicting meetings

This was in last week's Trib.   Mt. Lebanon officials won't agree to closed meetings

"It's a gray area, and I err on the side of caution," said Mt. Lebanon Solicitor Philip Weis, who advised the commissioners that the meetings would be better off open to the public.
"We'd rather give (the public) more than give less and be at fault," Miller said.
Posti, who took over as board president in December, said she wanted to schedule the meetings to foster more communication between the school district and the municipality.

Brumfield initially voted with commissioners DeIuliis and D. Raja for the closed meetings as long as they had some method for public review, such as published agendas. But after Weis reviewed the law, Brumfield said he changed his mind.

Hold that thought.

Last night, the Mt. Lebanon Commissioners approved a tax decrease.  Mt. Lebanon reverses tax increase During the Citizen Comments portion of the meeting, residents spoke about the need for increased services, which would not occur with a tax decrease. 
"At some point maybe a tax increase needs to be done, but right now is a tough time for a lot of people," Commissioner Joe DeIuliis said. "We've already had an increase in school taxes. Piling on at this point is not what's needed."
Yes, it is a tough time for a lot of people.  But our community is deteriorating as a result of the increase in school taxes.  Maybe the Commissioners will hold that thought when it comes time for the final vote for the High School renovation project.