Despite our slight raking over the coals today from the news department, The State‘s Editorial Board has nailed it on the head when it comes to the City’s finances.

For more than two years, the City’s finances have been a house of cards waiting to fall. Just take a look at this quote from today’s editorial…

Bud Addison, senior manager with Webster/Rogers LLP, which is leading the city’s audit, warns that unless the city revamps its health care plan and properly accounts for the increases, it could run into big problems. Mr. Addison said that if the current pattern continues, in a year or two the city could find itself in a deficit.

So, despite the gadfly image of The Pulse, when we wrote the other week that the City’s going broke… well… it seems the auditors agree.

At some point, the City is going to have to take a honest assessment of where it is financially and decide where it is going to cut. General and Administrative budgets have gone up from $15 million to $45+ million over the last three years.

Meanwhile, public safety has barely kept up with inflation. In fact, the City has only budgeted enough this year to cover the police department’s fuel costs until January. As Councilman Kirkman Finlay put it, “What are we going to do, buy bicycles for police patrols come this winter?”

Yesterday, Police Chief Tandy Carter spoke to a group of community and business leaders about the needs of his department. Chief Carter wants to cut violent crimes in our City by 50% over the next five years. He simply can’t do it with basically the same budget his department had in 2005-2006.

The City of Columbia is going to have to determine its top priorities and budget accordingly. It’s time to tighten the belt of City Hall and stop the budgetary hemoraging.

~ Dave Wilson, Contributing Editor