Orlando Police Officers Investigate Mayor Dyer - Surplus Found

Released on = January 3, 2005, 8:12 am

Press Release Author = Fraternal Order of Police, Orlando, Florida

Industry = Government

Press Release Summary = Mayor's Mixed Messages

Press Release Body = (EMAILWIRE.COM, January 03, 2005) ORLANDO, FL -- POLICE INVESTIGATE CITY'S ALLEGED BUDGET DEFICIT OF $ 21 MILLION AND MAYOR ANNOUNCES BUDGET SURPLUS OF $ 8 MILLION

Shortly after taking office Mayor-Commissioner John Dyer publicly announced he had inherited a $21 million budget deficit from former Mayor-Commission Glenda Hood. This alleged budget deficit was the reason for Dyer's mass lay-off of city employees although shortly after the lay-offs Dyer hired numerous friends and supporters. The alleged budget deficit was also cited by Mayor-Commissioner Dyer as the reason why the City could only afford to give police officers a 2% pay raise for fiscal year 2003/2004.

a.. The Fraternal Order of Police retained the accounting firm of Bellows & Associates to examine the City's financial statements and informed the Mayor's Office they had hired a financial consultant.

b.. On December 28, 2004, FOP Labor committee Chairman Samuel Hoffman asked Raymond Elwell, City Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, for a copy of the City's Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for fiscal year 2003/2004 which the City is required to file with the Florida Department of Financial Services in January 2005.

c.. On December 28, 2004, Deputy Director Elwell informed Hoffman the report was in audit, not finalized, and unavailable.

d.. The next day, the Mayor's Office issued a press release boasting that the City had an $8 million budget surplus for fiscal year 2003/2004, apparently citing information from the unavailable report.

The Mayor is sending mixed messages. In a single press release, he manages to declare both a budget surplus (seeking accolades) and a budget deficit (to combat union pay raise requests).

In an apparent effort to portray the City Financial picture as grim, Mayor
Dyer suggests the general surplus is merely one component of the City's total financial picture and suggests the total financial picture is a deficit of $5
million (down from the $21 million when he ssumed office). In reality, the City's Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Fund is as it name suggests a fund (pool of monies), not a debt. Additionally, the City's stated Capital Improvement Projects costs reflect estimated future costs of projects that have not yet begun and may never occur, not debt. The "deficit" gap between the CIP fund and CIPs repeatedly
cited by Mayor-Commissioner Dyer is not an asset to debt ratio gap - it is a gap between the estimated costs of projects the city would like to do versus monies available for future projects. It is no more a deficit than the gap between the list of items you would like to buy and the money in your bank account! It is not a deficit until you actually buy it and don't have the money to pay for it.

The FOP believes Dyer and his financial folks knew we were closing in on their curious financial reporting. Thus the budget surplus announcement by the mayor best sums up the City's true financial status and clearly indicates monies are available for fair employee raises.

On Saturday morning (11-11:45), a plane will fly over downtown and the Citrus Bowl towing a banner to inform the public of Mayor Dyer's latest mixed message,

POLICE INVESTIGATE BUDGET DEFICIT - MAYOR DYER DECLARES $8 MIL SURPLUS

Web Site = http://www.fop25.org

Contact Details = For more information contact the Fraternal Order of Police Labor
Office at
407-317-9029

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