I promised to follow the budget cutting efforts of Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder.

After steep cuts across a variety of functions were proposed, public hearings were held for the aggrieved parties to protest the cuts. City Council has now made 70 changes to Mayor Wilder’s budget, restoring much of what was cut. The council’s changes leave the city’s budget, which must be balanced, some $7 million in the red.

I found this to be too ironic for words:

“It’s not a problem that things are added. We are trying to provide services to our constituents,” said Assistant Vice Mayor J.M. “Jackie” Jackson.

She said Wilder “cut things we have a contractual obligation to provide and left it up to us to figure it out.”

Echoing other council members, Jackson said it is up to the mayor and his top officials to figure out how to bring the budget back into balance.

Council did make one balanced concession on economic development. They set up a $1.5 “pool” to fund a variety of organizations that now receive $2.2 million.