First Mayor Finizio proposed a budget with a whopping 20 percent increase, leaving the hard work of cutting to the City Council. Councilors grunted and groaned and cut and cut but got the proposed tax increase down only to 8.3 percent. Now voters will almost certainly petition to put it to a vote.

   Kathleen Edgecomb  reports here on Monday night's City Council budget session. Councilors Wade Hyslop and Anthony Nolan, loyal members of the mayor's big spending team, rejected the council's slimmer version of the budget, electing to keep all the slop in the trough. Councilor Donald Macrino, on the other hand, fretted about the city's difficult financial outlook..

“We are at the breaking point,’’ Councilor Donald Macrino said. “I feel as though I’ve failed by agreeing to (the tax) increase.”

At least he understands the impact on strapped homeowners, like the elderly.

Mayor Finizio says he is ready to campaign for his tax increase. Maybe he's counting on turning out a constituency that doesn't pay taxes?

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