Most Topeka City Council members voiced opposition Tuesday evening to raising the amount being expended to renovate City Hall to $17 million.
Councilman Tony Emerson used the term “extravagant” to describe the proposed increase in scope from previously approved plans.
“This should have been stopped a long time ago,” Councilman and Deputy Mayor Brendan Jensen said while holding up a copy of a booklet sharing suggestions for renovation. “This is too nice for us.”
Councilman Mike Lesser said the plan would have to be “scaled down drastically to get any type of support from me.”
He suggested city manager Brent Trout showed bad timing in bringing the matter before the council one week after Topekans approved a 10-year extension of a citywide, half-cent sales tax to finance maintenance and improvements to existing streets.
(Read more: Local – The Topeka Capital-Journal)