{"id":2458083,"date":"2020-05-05T23:12:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-06T05:12:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-officeholders-spend-first-analyze-later\/"},"modified":"2020-05-06T05:52:36","modified_gmt":"2020-05-06T11:52:36","slug":"aspen-officeholders-spend-first-analyze-later","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-officeholders-spend-first-analyze-later\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen officeholders spend first, analyze later"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s been known since February and certainly March that COVID-19 would devastate the Aspen economy, and thus city revenue. In memos for an upcoming council work session, the city manager and finance director have estimated the dollar effect: The downturn that began in February has reduced expected revenue for all of 2020 over 30%. From $80.7 million to $55.7 million. The memos also estimate revenue will be down in 2021 and 2022.<\/p>\n

This is a fiscal crisis for Aspen. City Council is being asked to adopt a drastically revised annual budget. When that prospect looms, responsible authorities jealously guard scarce resources, especially the bucks. But not Aspen\u2019s City Council.<\/p>\n

Before the city manager and finance director could even pull these numbers together, City Council impulsively and emotionally voted $6 million of off-budget aid to various interest groups. That turned out to be 10% of ruthlessly diminished city revenue for the year. Council didn\u2019t know that because they didn\u2019t wait for information.<\/p>\n

Aspen City Council: Ready. Fire. Aim.<\/p>\n

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