CY 2022 $158.1m Muni Budget - Bad enough it comes with an Unnecessary tax increase (with inflation out of control) but no detail to boot?!?

 Update: Received the response to my 2nd OPRA Request seeking the number of additions and deletions to the headcount for each of the 33 Departments/Divisions with payroll. Was told No such documents exist again. There are certainly headcount additions in this 2022 Muni Budget. Guess they're saying they have no support available to the Public to back up the numbers in this  2022 Muni Budget.

Well, Edison's CY 2022 $158.1 million Muni Budget (86 pages in a format not friendly to everyday people) has $70.9 million in Salary & Wages or 45% of the total Muni Budget. So, it's not unreasonable to ask for some information about that $70.9 million. It is up by $2.6 million over last year's $68.3 million.

You really can't understand these numbers they are budgeting unless you can see what the changes are, where they are and why? Unless you can reconcile the change from year-to-year, you don't really have a budget that has any credibility or believability. 

There are 33 Departments/Divisions with Salary and Wages totaling $70.9 million in this CY 2022 Muni Budget.

I made an OPRA Request to understand how we went from $68.3 million to $70.9 million by asking for the analysis of the changes in just the headcount for each of the 33 Departments/Divisions.

I was told that no such document exists. Well, that's interesting. You really can't build a budget unless you know how many heads you're going to add, the transfers in and out and how many will be leaving, etc. They obviously know that - just look at the Admin Department with all the new additions.

All right, let's assume they don't have an 'analysis' of the headcount changes. Surely, they have to know what's being added and deleted in each Department/Division. They have to provide for it in each Department/Division in the CY 2022 Muni Budget.

So, I made another OPRA Request for the individual elements of the changes and I'll do the 'analysis' myself - if I get it.

So, while I wait for their response on the elements, here's what's missing (!?) from their CY 2022 Muni Budget, without which they will be unable to support the $70.9 million in Salary & Wages they are budgeting:

Here's the 33 Departments/Divisions with Wage & Salaries in the CY 2022 Muni Budget totaling $70.9 million again:

Geez, it they won't provide basic detail on the payroll changes, can you imagine what's in the changes for the 'Other expenses' in this CY 2022 Muni Budget?!?

Anyhoo, got to like the transparency in providing information about their CY 2022 Muni Budget.