Mayor creates budget task force By Anna Krejci News-Chronicle While a $6 million budget deficit confronts Green Bay, the mayor's office is organizing a new task force that will evaluate the efficiency of the city government. Mayoral assistant Mike Driedric is chair of the new advising council, the Budget Taskforce Team 2005, that will meet on a monthly basis and report its findings before the city's final budget is submitted. "Our goal has been to develop a more efficient government that works for the taxpayers of this city," he said. Four subcommittees comprise the task force. The State and Federal Relations Subcommittee, chaired by Ald. Tony Theisen, will research federal and state grants for which the city might be eligible. It will focus on federal appropriations and state aid in attempts to lighten the tax burden on residents. The Schools Subcommittee, headed by Ald. John Vander Leest, will examine the relationship between the schools and the city. According to Driedric, the committee will discuss issues surrounding crossing guards, liason officers and sharing facilities. Cutting costs by eliminating the duplication of services is the focus of the Saving Through Cooperation Commission, chaired by Ald. Fred Graves, while the City Operations Subcommittee, led by Ald. Ken Dax, will study labor contracts and evaluate the productivity of staff and programs. According to Driedric, 85 percent of the city's costs are linked to administrative and union matters surrounding labor. Driedric said with the creation of the task force, the mayor is taking steps that will avoid raising property taxes for residents. Eight community members - to be appointed by the mayor - will work on the task force with the four aldermen who volunteered to participate. Four members of the city's staff will also serve on the task force: Driedric, Doug Daul, finance director; Dawn Foeller, assistant finance director and Amy Wallace, senior accountant.