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City Councilman Claims Mayor Nutter's Proposed Budget Is Far From Lean

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A city councilman says there are plenty of dimes and nickels tucked away in corners of Mayor Michael Nutter's budget proposal -- more than $74 million dollars worth. And that, he says, would be better used in the cash-starved Philadelphia School District.

Councilman-at-large David Oh says as in many administrations, budget padding rules the day in the Nutter Administration. He says his staff has identified millions of dollars worth of inflated departmental budgets in the mayor's latest spending plan.

"There's typically money that is in excess of what the department actually spends each year," Oh says. "When you add that all up, its about $74 million that we could look at."

Actually, it totals precisely $74,160,136. So Oh has now offered an amendment to Nutter's budget that would shift that money to what he says are better uses -- possibly to the school district. Otherwise, he wants answers.

"The administration needs to come (before council) fully engaged as to why they need to keep this money," Oh says, "and what its for."

Oh tried the same maneuver last year to no avail, but he is apparently happy to keeping making the point about budget padding.

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