KALAMAZOO (WKZO-AM) — Without much fanfare and with little discussion, Kalamazoo City Commissioners approved their 2016 budget on Tuesday.
The vote was unanimous, though several commissioners warned structural deficits and state laws that limit how they can raise money will mean more cuts in the future.
Commissioner Erin Knott said she would have been with the protestors at the Capitol if not for the meeting, because many of issues causing the budget crunch in Kalamazoo and other cities are the same ones that resulted in the problems making headlines in Flint.
“Emergency managers come in and they strip local units of a government from doing the job of governing,” Knott said.
This year’s budget calls for an increase in the millage for solid waste revenues and other fee hikes. Some programs will also see cuts.
– John McNeill
