BEVERLY — The city budget is filled with more than 100 pages and nearly $98 million worth of spending, but only four residents deemed the proposal worthy of comment last night at City Hall.
That's how many citizens chose to speak up during the City Council's public hearing on the proposed $97.9 million budget for fiscal year 2011, which begins July 1.
Regular council meeting attendees Rene Mary, Mary Rodrick and Rosemary Maglio and former School Committee member Don Hannable were the only residents to step to the microphone. And three of them — Mary, Rodrick and Maglio — criticized council President Mike Cahill for limiting how long they could speak.
"A public hearing is a time when people should speak, not be limited," Rodrick said.
Cahill said time limits need to be imposed out of consideration for others. He said commenters were welcome to submit further testimony to the council in writing.
Rodrick said councilors failed to scrutinize the budget closely during their hearings with department heads over the last two weeks, and residents weren't allowed to ask questions during those meetings.
"I don't think the council has looked at the increases," she said. "It may be $1,000 here and $1,000 there, but it adds up to hundreds of thousands sometimes."
Maglio said Mayor Bill Scanlon should take a 10 percent cut from his $100,000 salary.
"Teachers took voluntary pay cuts during the Depression," she said. "As an executive, he should set an example."
Hannable recommended eliminating two of the three councilor-at-large seats. He also lamented the increase in meal and hotel taxes and a proposal for high school students to pay for their own laptop computers.
"The schools continually ask for more money," Hannable said. "The public wants an excellent school system without all the frills."
The City Council's finance and property committee is scheduled to vote on the budget tomorrow night. The full council will take a final vote on Monday.
Staff writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2675 or by e-mail at pleighton@salemnews.com.
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