Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones immediately went on the offensive after voting against next year’s city budget.
She blamed her City Council colleagues for adopting a $4.4 billion budget that in her view was beyond city government’s means — and for approving a 3.9% property tax rate hike to help pay for it. She also criticized City Manager Erik Walsh and his staff for not offering up a more fiscally responsible spending plan.
“Ultimately, there wasn’t a big enough appetite to do things differently,” Jones said at the Metro SA Chamber’s City Vision event Monday, which five of City Council’s 10 members attended…