Wilmington Mayor James Baker (D) is known for going off script and saying what's on his mind. Thursday night, he took it to a whole new level. After reading the the first page of his prepared State of the City speech and quickly running through the bullet points of his proposed 2012 budget, Baker switched gears and turned his verbal fire toward Wilmington City Council, taking off on a seven minute rant that included spirited defense of his staff, outright anger and a couple of expletives.
Click here to watch the full video of Wilmington Mayor Jim Baker's State of the City/Budget address
"The idea I'm working on is to try and save you a lot of grief in the future," Baker started. "The next mayor coming in, if we don't fix these things, is going to have a hell of a problem on their hands. Now, that won't bother me. But it will bother you and it will bother the next mayor. There's a question mark as to how long the city can play games with its own survival."
Baker questioned the consequences of continuing to cut the budget to solve the city's fiscal problems. He then expressed his displeasure over the combative relationship between his administration and council, and the crippling effect that has on solving city problems.
"I'm willing to stop. But I'll fight you tooth and nail if you want," said Baker, who has two years left in his final term as Wilmington's mayor. "Either you make peace or not. If you want to have war for 600 more days, fine, we will have it."
Excerpts of Wilmington Mayor Jim Baker’s State of the City/Budget Address
[flashvideo file=http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/baker_budget.xml width=680 height=500 playlist=bottom playlistsize=100 /]
Baker said the legislative branch and the executive branch should have a partnership, but he doesn't see it. He lashed out at council for its treatment of members of his administration.
"They deserve to be treated as professionals and be treated right," said Baker. "They certainly deserve respect because the citizens of this city have gained by them working and doing their jobs well. They don't deserve to be beat up every time they do something or say something. Or question their integrity. Or question their intent. Or question their professionalism."
After the speech, council members felt the mayor went too far, especially considering the venue and the purpose of the speech.
"It was totally inappropriate," said Council president Norman Griffiths. "There's no reason for showing this kind of bullying tactic is this chamber. We try to work as best we can with the mayor."
"I wouldn't call it either a State of the City or a budget address. It was a drawing of a line in the sand," said 8th District Councilman Steve Martelli. "And that's not leadership. We're in a time we need leadership from both council and the mayor and that's not leadership."
At-Large Councilman Mike Brown says Baker hinted he would go off script when he spoke to him prior to the speech, but Brown agrees with his council colleagues that the mayor stepped over a line. "It was disrespectful to council," said Brown. "The headline is going to read 'Mayor bashes council.' It's not going to talk about the budget."
Wilmington City Council Reaction to Mayor Baker’s State of the City/Budget Address
[flashvideo file=http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/baker_reaction.xml width=680 height=500 playlist=bottom playlistsize=100 /]
Speaking to DFM News after his speech, Baker dismissed the idea he was disrespectful.
"They can feel disrespected all they want, I don't care. They have to learn this is a dual government, the legislative branch and the administrative branch," argued Baker. "Don't play games with me and I won't play games with you. They don't want to hear it. They want me to pat them on the head like puppies, as if they're doing something right. They're not."
Lost in the war of words were the actual details of Mayor Baker's 2012 budget proposal.
The plan includes increases in property taxes and water rates. No layoffs are planned, but there is also no pay raise for city employees and workers will be asked to contribute more to health care coverage while losing three paid holidays.
Baker's proposed 2012 operating budget is $140.6 million. That's $7.1 million less (4.8 percent smaller) than the current 2011 budget. But that $140 million figure got council members' attention. It is $2 million over the Wilmington Economic and Advisor Council (WEFAC) estimate for revenues.
"The $140 million dollars, based on what I know right now from the WEFAC report, isn't there," said Griffiths.
"I'm a little unclear how you get from that point [$138 million] to that point [$140 million]," added Martelli.
Baker called that criticism "pure bull." He responded, "WEFAC gets its numbers from us. And we have to put the budget together based on what we think we can do to keep things together. I don't think that's a legitimate argument."
Excerpts of Wilmington Mayor Jim Baker’s post-Budget Address interview with DFM News
[flashvideo file=http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/baker_itvw.xml width=680 height=500 playlist=bottom playlistsize=100 /]
Baker proposes to reduce city spending by eliminating of ten currently vacant positions in Office of Economic Development, Public Works, Real Estate and Housing, the Law Department, the City Treasurer’s Office and City Council. Baker also seeks to eliminate city workers' paid holidays on Good Friday, Columbus Day and Presidents Day, and reduce city employees' use of take-home vehicles. He is also proposing canceling the city's Fourth of July celebration unless a sponsor is found to cover the city's production costs, which Baker says total $125,000.
To control costs, Baker says city workers must go without a pay raise in 2012 and increase their out-of-pocket contributions to health care. The Mayor acknowledges it will be the third straight year most city employees go without an salary increase but defends the move, noting he has not asked for any pay cuts during that time.
Baker's budget proposal also targets rising pension and retiree health care costs. The mayor will send proposals to the Wilmington City Council that would require new employees to reach age 65 and enroll in Medicare before they qualify for the city's retiree health care plan, and would place new non-uniformed employees in the state sponsored pension plan, closing the city pension plan to those new hires.
In addition to an overall reduction in spending, Baker is asking Wilmington residents to absorb a five percent property tax increase. If approved, that will cost the average homeowner $3.02 more per month, or $36.25 more per year, while bringing the city an additional $1.9 million in revenue.
The Mayor is also asking for a 16 percent hike in water rates to pay for the Water/Sewer/Stormwater Fund's $62.5 million budget. That will cost residents using an average of 15,000 gallons of water per quarter an additional $6.43 more per month. Baker says it's part of his goal to have the fund pay for itself rather than draw from the city's general fund.
Some members of council are already balking at any such increases.
"These are tough times and we're going to look hard at any tax increase that puts a further burden on residents," said Griffiths.
Martelli went further, calling the property tax increase "unacceptable."
Baker also plans to address other city issues in the coming year.
He called for Wilmington City Council to approve the Federal SAFER grant for 13 additional firefighters, saying failure to do so would cause the small projected surplus for this fiscal year to disappear while creating an half-million dollar deficit next fiscal year.
Baker also asked AFSCME Local 320, which represents sanitation workers, to join with city officials to find a solution to a "infamous contract clause" that keeps trash and recyclables from being collected when it rains or snows and the temperature is under 45 degrees.
The most pressing issue, however, may be how the administration can have a constructive dialogue with city council about any issue, after Tuesday night's fireworks.
"What I'm hearing right now is an administration just trying to get through the next two years," said Martelli. "Shame on them."
"If he wants unity, he's starting off on the wrong foot," added Brown.
Despite the criticism from city council members following his fiery address, Baker stood firm."They can turn the budget down, it's on them," said Baker.