Show Cemented Budgets Budge Hindering Economy Cemented Cement d budgets are a main reason reason rea son in n a majority of cases case why itis itis it itis is so 10 difficult to cut costs of running cities to meet depression conditions according to Clarence E. E Ridley Bidley executive director International City Managers Managers' association II Cemented budgets Mr Ridley explains arc are tho those e such as the one that Mayor LaGuardia is now gline gling with in New York City where main items are solidly loUdly fixed as mandatory man nian expenditures so 50 that nothing the mayor can do will vill move them With debt charges fixed with salaries sal salt aries of schools teachers and often those thOc of policemen and firemen set by state law with pension payments l likewise set et by outside authority and with parks often under separate jurisdIction jurisdiction juris jurls- diction it is not unusual to find a as much as 75 to 80 per cent of the total city budget beyond the reach of ot a mayors mayor's or city managers manager's economy ax A 10 per cent budget cut Mr Ridley continues continue may not seem unreasonable unreasonable un reasonable to ask and y yet t in a cue case where four fifths of the budget is Li 2 i 1 cemented it Jt amounts to half haI of all an that hat is left leU to work with In such tuch c cases s a 10 per cent decre decrease decrease le in effect is 50 per cent cent IS is certain to tOJ cripple essential services ervice of ot the city We h have lVe been anxious in this country coun COui- try to provide checks and balance j of power to restrain officials from doing things that might be harmful IA Mr Ridley observes The s sam simi met checks restrain them from making economies that are helpful It 4 Centralization of at responsibility i In needed Mr Ridley y urges He believes be v ieves that before it will be attained attain there here must be a complete overhaul overhauling of our system of state and lo local al p gor 0 looking toward a r aB ment of functions and revenues rc 19 sq that hat budgets will be made mo more e flexible flexible flex ible and the responsibility of executive exec five jve officials more fully and tore nort cl clearly defined iT 1 S ok |