City of New Orleans BUDGET MEETING - District A

Monday, October 12 at 4 p.m. at City Park's Botanical Garden

From: "Shelley S. Midura" [Edit Address Book]
To: "Shelley S. Midura"
Subject: Call to Arms: Budget
Date: Oct 7, 2009 10:36 AM

Dear Neighborhood association presidents and leaders in District A:

I am writing to ask that you attend a meeting I am holding for neighborhood leaders this Monday, October 12, to discuss the budget crisis we are facing and engaging the public in the process of adopting the 2010 budget. As you know, during the month of November the City will undergo the harrowing process of adopting the 2010 budget, AND we are facing a nearly $68 million deficit. Additionally, the OIG has recently released a report analyzing the budget process that outlines how and why our budget process is so broken. One of the key findings is that public engagement and discussion is absent in the decision making process. Public engagement is all the more critical now in the face of the current budget crisis. There is no doubt that we will be making tough and painful decisions. We must mitigate this as much as possible through a public process that yields a true people’s budget that protects the priorities of citizens as best possible.

I need you to attend this meeting, learn about the issues, and help me develop a strategy to engage the community in advocating for and ensuring the best people’s budget possible in the midst of a historic budget crisis. I would like to meet with you to discuss the critical issues we will be facing and to receive your collective priorities in ensuring a fair, just, and equitable people’s budget. Please join me Monday, October 12 at 4 p.m. at City Park's Botanical Garden for this important meeting.

Sincerely,
Shelley Midura
New Orleans City Council
District A