Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Can you hear me now?

Mayor Mark Funkhouser has heard the pleas of Northeast residents but still seems to be offering little help to the area in the budget that he and the council are set to approve on Thursday.

In his most recent town hall meeting, Funkhouser said he has heard the concerns and seen the letters from residents showing their support for Old Northeast Inc and his mission, but fell short of offering any kind clue as to whether the council would make a place for the organizations in the prodigious budget it has to finish by tomorrow.

"I hear you," Funkhouser said to Lee Lambert, vice president of Independence Plaza Neighborhood Association. "But right now (when it comes to neighborhood funds) it is like sharks in a feeding frenzy with everyone fighting for less and less."

Lambert pointed out that many of the neighborhood programs to the North of the river and south of Northeast were getting funding while ONE Inc seemed to be one of the few neighborhood programs being left out.

Funkhouser said the process was not over and still needed to go though more debate at Thursday's council meeting.

The council is set to approve the budget at its 3 p.m. council meeting at City Hall.

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