http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-816588.mp3
Kansas City, MO – There were hot words and hot water for City Manager Wayne Cauthen at this morning's meeting of the council Finance and Audit Committee. Budget director Troy Shulte presented the group with the latest estimate of the city's revenue shortfall for the current budget year - $11.6 million. And city CFO Jeffrey Yates was on hand to review current figures on departmental expenditures to date.
After looking at the figures, Finance chair Deb Hermann told budget director Shulte the problem is failure to make cuts as directed, not what City Manager Wayne Cauthen says it is. "This has nothing to do with underperforming TIFs," Hermann said, "this has the dollars that came in to the city from these TIFs projects that we spent instead of sending over to EDC for appropriate reimbursement."
Hermann says the basic problem is "a failure to manage the city." Councilman Russ Johnson added that he was disappointed that Cauthen doesn't seem to be "playing on the same team."