Great Falls Tribune

 

July 25, 2009

 

Candidate: Utility spending took dollars from police, fire

By RICHARD ECKE
Tribune Staff Writer

If city police and fire special tax levies fail Aug. 4, city voters may be reacting to "uncontrolled spending" by the city of Great Falls on its energy ventures, according to a city commission candidate.

Donna M. Zook, one of seven candidates for two city commissioner seats in the Sept. 15 primary, told the Tribune this week that she has talked to more than two dozen city residents who are disillusioned or angry with the city.

Zook said several residents repeated a contention that city spending on its Electric City Power utility arm and the proposed Highwood Generating Station power plant took money away from police and fire agencies.

"This is what they're telling me," she said.

The issue of the city's energy ventures already has popped up in levy discussions.

City fiscal officer Coleen Balzarini previously said city commissioners spent $395,717 from the city's general fund, which pays for police and fire services, in 2004 to invest in the proposed power plant.

Balzarini said that since then the city has lent money to Electric City Power, which consistently lost money through last year. The utility sells electricity to other government agencies, businesses and nonprofit groups. She said the city's electric utility must pay back the money to the general fund or other city funds it borrows from.

"It borrows from the general fund, but that is not an annual budgeted expense," Balzarini said.

In other words, the money is loaned to Electric City Power from the city's pooled cash, but not given to the utility as a subsidy.

"I don't understand that," Zook said last week.

International Association of Fire Fighters Local 8 President David Van Son previously said he did not believe the city energy issues had a bearing on the safety levies unless money for energy ventures came out of the general fund budget.

Sgt. John Schaffer, past president of the Great Falls Police Protective Association, said he believes the police department must follow its own budget, adding he can not speak for other parts of city government.

Other candidates running for commissioner seats:

 

Incumbent John Rosenbaum, who has backed the city's energy efforts.

 

 

Bob Jones, who expressed skepticism about electricity generated by coal.

 

 

Kathleen Gessaman, a longtime opponent of the coal-fired power plant.

 

 

Fred Burow, who said the city has been "wasteful" in its energy spending.

 

 

Rolland Leitheiser, who opposes the city's electricity ventures and a natural gas-fired power plant.

 

 

Ed McKnight, one of the most vocal critics of the city's energy ventures.

 

Zook said she opposes the power plant regardless of whether it burns coal, as originally proposed, or natural gas, as is being considered now.

The commissioner candidates have offered a variety of views on the public-safety levies. Burow said he favors the levies, but added they will have a difficult time passing. Leitheiser said the levies face challenges because of their high costs. McKnight said he "totally" supports the police and fire departments, but noted a failure of the levies would indicate "a lack of trust with the current administration."

Rosenbaum endorsed the levies as "overdue."

"It sure would benefit our city and our crime rate, and our fire response," Rosenbaum said.

Jones said he believes the levies for police and fire are needed, adding the departments have not seen their staffs bolstered in some time. Gessaman said the city might not have needed the special levies if it had not spent so much on energy.

"People are smart enough to make their own decisions," Zook said when asked her view on the levies.

City firefighters have contributed $5,000 to their campaign for the fire levy, while city police donated $10,000 to their campaign efforts.

City officials say employees may campaign privately for the levies. However, information given by city employees while on-duty needs to be informational rather than promotional, City Manager Greg Doyon said.

Voting takes place by mail, and ballots must be returned by 8 p.m. Aug. 4 to the Cascade County Elections Office, 325 2nd Ave. N.