Fiscal Note
The 2015 adopted City operating budget appropriates $33,000 under Miscellaneous Appropriations for the State Liaison. The Resolution will amend the budget to appropriate $7,000 from the Contingent Reserve to adjust for a contract price increase. There is no net impact on the City levy. The uncommitted remaining balance of the Contingent Reserve will be $1,193,000 following adoption of this Resolution. The budget will be amended as follows:
($7,000) GN01-57600-971000 - Reduce Contingent Reserve
$7,000 GN01-54296-971000 - Increase State Liaison Expense
Title
Amending the 2015 Operating Budget to appropriate $7,000 from the Contingent Reserve to Miscellaneous Appropriations/State Liaison.
Body
WHEREAS, Martin Schreiber & Associates, Inc. has represented the City for the past six years; and
WHEREAS, during the 2013-2014 session alone, Martin Schreiber helped get Madison-specific legislation passed under very challenging circumstances; and
WHEREAS, their successes include amending the TIF law to eliminate a Madison-specific prohibition on using TIF for parking structures;
WHEREAS, in addition to the challenge of benefiting only Madison, that TIF legislation faced unique political difficulties and opposition, had to be attached to three different pieces of legislation, and was finally passed in the closing days of the legislative session; and
WHEREAS, Martin Schreiber was also instrumental in amending the property tax exemption for the Pres House so that fraternities and sororities houses worth tens of millions of dollars would not become tax exempt, and so that other organizations could not use the law to build new tax-exempt student housing; and
WHEREAS, the city's state lobbying contract was put out for RFP and Martin Schreiber was the successful respondent; and
WHREAS, the contract price had remained unchanged since the inception of Martin Schreiber's representation, and the new contract will be $7,000 more than the $33,000 that is appropriated in the 2015 budget.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the 2015 adopted City operating budget is amended to allocate funds from the Contingent Reserve in the amount of $7,000 to the Miscellaneous expenses/State Liaison.