Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake continued Wednesday to accuse City Council members of grandstanding over an impasse centered on $4.2 million in budget cuts.
"I'm not interested in that type of foolishness. I'm here to serve, I'm here to be a leader, I'm here to make tough decisions so we can balance the budget and move forward," the mayor said. "It was clear to me they were interested in grandstanding and not governing."
Rawlings-Blake's comments came during her weekly news conference at City Hall. She criticized council leaders for threatening to shutdown city government by rejecting her proposed $2.6 billion budget, which initially had included cuts to after-school programs for about 2,500 children. The fiscal year starts July 1.
Her administration announced this week broad plans to cut $4.2 million to free up money for more after-school programs. She has not released details, but said tree maintenance, graffiti removal, code enforcement, public health and libraries could be among targeted reductions. A spokesman for the mayor has said the administration expects to notify all agencies affected by cuts by the end of the week.
Council members have accused the mayor of "dramatic messaging" surrounding her proposed budget cuts that they said were designed to "pull at the heartstrings." By law, council must approve a balanced budget by June 26.
"I'll take the criticism, but I recognize the need for leadership," Rawlings-Blake said.
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