Quoted from Libertarian4life

Very soon more than half the budget will be for former employees and their benefits.

You can't cut the amount the retirees get, so if you cut the budget, it all comes out of the half of the budget being used for current employees.

BINGO!!!!

that's called the government pyramid-vote purchasing machine-strong-arming tactics........

The state, local, and federal politicians all did the same thing to secure votes. They promised lucrative retirement benefits, and health-care for life full well knowing that when the SHTF they would be long gone from office leaving the officials currently in government holding the bag. The federal government is still promising things right now that they can't pay for and leaving the mess for someone else.

maybe there needs to be a 'tax cap'

Could a citizen's initiative be put on the ballot to restrict the city's budget?

Let's say a ten percent spending cut each year for 3 years.

Current budget is 79 million

After 3 years it would be 57 million.

Tell them they can have more when they get downtown to pay taxes.

If the city claims they can't operate on that amount, force them to sell assets, just like everyone else must do.

How much can we get for city hall?

How much can we get for the golf course?