GA Exclusive Video

Last night new City Council Vice President Michael Russo surprised the dais with a temporary budget amending the one proposed, which would fund city operations through the 1st quarter of 2011.

Russo explained his budget submission was "handwritten" and complained the administration hadn't been forthcoming with information- though it is uncertain if the two are related: presenting a handwritten spreadsheet and the administration's lack of cooperation.

Handwritten budgets are unusual these days; most use computer-gizmos that generate spreadsheets and do error-free math instantaneously... and some are even hooked up to these things called 'printers', that make copies FOR you!

Well, GA lucked out.

We were invited to videotape the budget-drafting process, only hours before the meeting:



Now, a footnote from Patch:

City Council did not succeed in passing temporary appropriations on Wednesday night to get the city funded through the first quarter of the year 2011.

The city will not be paying any bills until the appropriations are passed, Corporation Counsel Mark Tabakin said.

"No bills are being paid," Tabakin said. "Everything is going into lockdown mode, except for critical components such as payroll."

That's some fancy footwork on behalf of our new City Council majority.