Pleading with the council to act

Editor’s note: The following letter has been sent to all the members of the Everett City Council.

Dear Councilmen:

It was disturbing to see agenda item C053522 Cemetery Commission on the 12/27/22 Agenda for action to establish the Everett Cemetery Commission. Just what the tax payers need, more no show paid jobs for the mayors donors and supporters many from outside Everett. This will negatively impact residents by adding to the $300M bloated budget and padded payroll headcount. How many NO Show Stipend jobs on commissions and boards is enough for the Mayor? for our budget?

Taxpayers have had enough of the wasteful spending from the corner office that you all approve which means you support.

We voted for you to manage the budget and the city, not be a rubber stamp for uncontrolled wasteful spending! Do you have the business acumen to stop the mayor’s lack of fiscal responsibility and financial mismanagement with the CFO, or are you part of the problem?

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Hidden Budget Deals Must Be Exposed

The upcoming Everett City Budget is a mish mush of flagrant and superficial listings that fails to itemize entirely expenditures throughout its large mass.

The Everett City Budget, which advertises itself as award winning is a farce and in many respects, is a fraud perpetrated on the taxpayers of this city.

The last several Award Winning Budgets did not include the fact that Mayor Carlo DeMaria was being paid $40,000 a year for a longevity payment that should have been $2,500 a year.

The funds to pay the mayor for this unlisted $40,000 item that should have been included in the budget for all to see were paid to him with vacation and sick time funding.

Two $20,000 payments were issued to the mayor last year so he could receive the $40,000 longevity payment that he had been receiving for the past four years without his name attached to expenditure and disbursement in the budget.

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Council Given 48 Hours To Study Demaria/City Budget

By Josh Resnek

Councilor Stephanie Smith sharply criticized and ridiculed the administration’s budget schedule Monday night saying it is unacceptable.

Her comments followed the appearance before the council of Chief Financial Officer Eric Demas.

The bright eyed and bushy tailed Demas spoke in his inimitable style, clipping words crisply for effect as though he was giving out orders to recruits at a military base.

After a five minute expulsion from his mouth of incomprehensible words and confusing phrases, no one on the council seemed to know what Demas was talking about.

This is exactly the formula used by Demas whenever he speaks to the council. Demas was pleased at his presentation which appeared to baffle the council.

His announcement a moment later: no one would have much time to look at the budget.

What a surprise!

The administration is allowing the council three days to explore a budget $200 million strong.

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Budget discussions should have meaning: But they don’t

By STEVE PINTO

As the city council pretends to scrutinize the budget, it’s simply the usual exercise of going through the motions.

Let’s face it, city spending is out of control.

The mayor has no boundaries when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars.

There will be no meaningful cuts regardless of what Councilor Fred Capone motions for.

All raises will go through. All revolving accounts will be fully funded. All unnecessary spending will be approved.

It’s an election year.

The puppets don’t want to upset the puppet master, our mayor.

They want his support. They need his support.

And he needs theirs.

The city council doesn’t understand budgets and taxes. Either that or they just don’t care.

This I know, the city council can’t have two masters. It must have its own mind and make its own decisions.

The mayor must try to do the same.

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