Time to scrap the Spreadsheet

michaelgoldberg

Apr 9, 2015 at 4:12pm Edited

File this under "you can't make this up":

The Local Finance Board has adopted N.J.A.C. 5:30-3.8, a rule which requires municipalities to incorporate a user-friendly budget into their introduced (approved) and adopted annual municipal budgets.

The user friendly budget form has been approved by the Director and is now live on the Division of Local Government Services website.

What is the User-Friendly Budget?

An Excel-based form prescribed by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services, the User-Friendly Budget seeks to present municipal budgets in a more easily comprehensible format for the average
citizen.

http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dlgs/lfns/15/2015-09.pdf

I guess we can save some money by finally ditching the silly line graph tool now, too.

scottgreenstone

Apr 9, 2015 at 4:37pm

That would be nice, wouldnt it?

jayjayp

Apr 10, 2015 at 1:25am

Wasn't Torpey trying to get some resolution passed by the BOT to get his spreadsheet thing codified so that future administrations had to use what he wanted them to use? I seem to remember something like that but can't recall the specifics or what happened.

michaelgoldberg

Apr 10, 2015 at 5:00am

@jayjayp - It's even "better" than that. An ORDINANCE has been written and was listed for first reading at the last meeting (but was ultimately Tabled): http://southorange.no-ip.org/WebLink8/DocView.aspx?id=134853&dbid=0

While some of the stuff in there is commonsense, the administrative overhead on a lot of it (such as attendance and voting records online) is high.

Rob_Sandow

Apr 10, 2015 at 12:01pm Edited

I really like #2. "before any official is taken by the governing body". Where would they be taking that official, and for what purpose? ;-)

Proofreading is a good thing...

South_Mountaineer

Apr 10, 2015 at 12:15pm

Does anyone know if either of the two candidates in the Village President election next month has a position on any of the above?

Trans_Parent

Apr 10, 2015 at 1:22pm Edited

Sorry, but I've got to call bullsh*t on this one.

Four years ago, in his transparency platform, Torpey promised:

"All elected officials attendance and voting records must be available in prominently viewable and searchable, accessible online format."

And, now that he clearly failed to implement his bright idea, he wants the Board to enact a LAW requiring this?

This is a pathetic, desperate attempt by him to re-write history, so he can claim he "implemented" this make-work, lame idea.

Trustee voting already is reflected in all adopted ordinances, by law. And, only by viewing an adopted ordinance would interested parties have any idea what was done, because the Village can't be bothered posting short, plain English descriptions in advance of voting.

ETA: Any Trustee that supports this ordinance, four weeks befote Torpey leaves office, should be ashamed of him/herself.