Despite a torrential downpour just hours before and the threat of more storms on Monday night, Auburn Mayor Michael Quill’s first of two planned public meetings can be considered a success.

For more than an hour, 15 citizens got to grill, praise and make suggestions to Quill and a handful of city department heads.

The evening drew about three dozen residents as well as city councilor Gilda Brower, Cayuga County Legislature Chairman Peter Tortorici, who represents the Casey Park area, city council candidate Jack Hardy, and former Mayor Timothy Lattimore, who is running for the Legislature. A wide range of topics was covered, from fixing the Clifford Park clubhouse to the hot topics of sidewalks and water bills.

If one thing could be taken from the session, it is that there is a clear disconnect between fulfilling individual and community desires and the stark reality of their costs. James Plis commented on the fact that a sustained 0 percent tax increase annually isn’t practical for any length of time. He said that “ #... something has to give and what is giving is quality of life #... ” That is the dilemma that Quill and members of the city council grapple with every year at budget time.

So when residents want to have the city take down dangerous and diseased trees (citizens reported waiting on a list for at least four years for action), want the city to pay for everyone’s sidewalks or to make major repairs at Clifford Park - choices have to be made #— community good versus a bearable tax rate.

As Quill told the group #— items often get pushed back on the agenda. His reading of the list of requests on Monday night #— it may be “ #... time for the city to invest more money into personnel and tools.”

The big question is whether that is even doable. While the citizens who came out had their priorities and said they would pay higher taxes, in some cases, to address their concerns, they may not speak for the rest of their fellow property owners and taxpayers. The stark reality is that for every good idea that was tossed out on Monday night, there are dozens of other taxpayers who would oppose such priorities if it meant tax increases. That is the dilemma of governance and representative government today.

Yet, Monday night was an opportunity for Quill and others to explain that complexity #— something, it seemed, Quill wanted to start doing under the shelter at Casey Park. Residents will get another crack at him on Oct. 19 at Booker T. Washington Community Center.

Cosentino is a former mayor of Auburn and can be contacted at cozguytho@aol.com