By John Ramos
On December 11, 2008, applicants for an open at-large seat on the Duluth City Council gathered to present councilors with short statements as to why they thought they should be chosen for the job. The seat would be vacated in mid-January, when Councilor Roger Reinert left for St. Paul to begin his work [...]
Posts under ‘City Budget’
How I Lost $10,000
The Case of the Rubber Stamp: A Thriller
By John Ramos
The night of December 1, 2008 was cold. Real cold. Dead leaves rasped about my ankles as I hurried up the wide stone steps of City Hall. I pulled open the heavy glass doors and entered the shadowy vault of the commons area. My footsteps echoed overhead. Former mayors stared down at me, [...]
City Debt and Tourism: An Illustrated Guide
By John Ramos
During the Duluth city council meeting of October 27, 2008, the council voted to authorize the sale of $4.1 million in bonds for various city obligations. Bonds constitute new debt for the city. Like many cities, Duluth has financed its operations and projects with bonds for many years; as a result, the city’s [...]
A Second Proposal
As I was perusing my handsome new 2008-2009 telephone directory, I happened to notice something that could solve a lot of the city’s problems.