Regardless of how the votes may end up regarding TABOR and excise taxes, is it time to take another look and create a budget committee to really scrutinize the Lewiston City Budget?

Many will recall that I opposed creating this committee and may question why I now favor it. In fact, I have always been in favor of such a committee, but there were two stipulations which needed to be included that Mayor Larry Gilbert would not agree to; thus, I voted against it.

In my opinion as an accountant, two vital cogs must be in place.

First: The work of the committee must be completed before the council is provided the budget. There cannot be two groups working on the budget and making requests of staff at the same time. A better concept would be having the budget committee review the current budget from October through early December, then make recommendations to the council when it gets the budget in late January. Their time spent would provide a heavy recommendation for the city council to keep in mind as they continue discussions.

Second: Require those on the committee to have a background in either accounting or municipal government. Political patronage has no place on this committee, it must be staffed with people who understand accounting, work with large budgets and have an eye for financial details. The finished product each year will better reflect a diversity of what needs to be done, weighed against what can be done.

Robert Reed, Lewiston

City Councilor, Ward 7