The following remarks were made by Paul Norberg, retired CFO, at the February 24 Vallejo City Council Meeting

Good evening Mr. Mayor and Council Members:

It is a sad day for our city with a $12 million budget deficit projected for next year. I have lost complete confidence in the ability of this council to provide services for our citizens.

We moved here 8 years ago with great hope. Great location, great potential and with Mare Island a great future. Now by the actions you have taken all those hopes seem to be dashed.

You are now looking at a $12 million deficit for next year and no reasonable way to close that gap. You filed for bankruptcy protection but now seem intent on exiting bankruptcy with no solution to our looming budget crisis. In the last few weeks you approved labor contracts that the city can’t afford and you derailed a vote on binding arbitration that had been requested by close to 7,000 registered voters. You even added a provision to pay the union legal fees if the city can’t afford the new contracts. What were you thinking?

We have an MBA, CFO, lawyer and two local business people who all voted to approve unsustainable contracts and to push the binding arbitration issue in the limbo of a charter review committee. When are you going to start representing the citizens and not the special interests of our city? Thankfully we have council members Schivley and Gomes, who seem to understand the issues, but I have no respect for the rest of you – perhaps with the upcoming elections we can elect people who truly want to make this a great place to live.

Later this evening you will be considering tax increases to balance the budget. I for one won’t be supporting any tax increase until you get the expenditure side under control and with the labor contract extensions you just signed there is no real hope that that will happen any time in the near future. You are also considering ending Joe Tanner’s contract on June 30, 2010. He is one of the few who took a hard line to solve Vallejo’s problems and now you want to end his service as he has apparently ruffled the feathers of the special interests that got you elected. You have a monumental task ahead – good luck in your endeavors.