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A 2010 budget without support?
I apologize for the lack of a post on Wednesday. I stayed home with a cold, so as not to infect the rest of the office, and although I could have posted from home, I opted not to -- for the sake of making my day or rest as restful as possible.
Anyhow, my ill-timed illness put me a day later than I'd hoped in writing some follow up to Wednesday's story on Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins' proposed budget. I got to that work today, and had the chance to talk to almost the entire City Council, as well as most of the candidates in November's elections.
While everyone agrees that the current budget is pretty crappy, there is some disagreement about who is to blame. Ivins wants to blame the Democratic leadership in Albany, which took away the city's VLT money. Ron Kim wants to blame Ivins and Mayor Scott Johnson for failing to cut a deal with Sonny Bonacio for the sale of the High Rock parking lots, for the construction of a parking structure, mixed use building, and police station there -- and for building a recreation center.
Peter Martin, a Democrat running for the finance post, wants to blame, not surprisingly, his opponent.
While some are less-willing to come out and say it directly, everyone also wants to blame the city's unions, who are reluctant to offer any givebacks.
The unions might have had stronger footing for demanding a same-or-better contract, had the bottom not fallen out of the VLT money, and had sales tax followed general economic trends at the same time. As it happens, the city seems to be running out of pockets from which to snatch a few extra dollars, and the money has to come from somewhere. So layoffs appear to be the answer.
Of everyone I spoke to today, Commissioner John Franck seems to be the most satisfied -- although he said he still wouldn't vote for the budget. While he regrets the layoffs, there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative, and if the paid parking solution were tied into capital projects, this budget might fail with two votes instead of one.
Of course, a failing budget that can't be agreed upon by Nov. 30 is actually a passing budget. I think these next two months are going to be rather interesting.
Anyhow, my ill-timed illness put me a day later than I'd hoped in writing some follow up to Wednesday's story on Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins' proposed budget. I got to that work today, and had the chance to talk to almost the entire City Council, as well as most of the candidates in November's elections.
While everyone agrees that the current budget is pretty crappy, there is some disagreement about who is to blame. Ivins wants to blame the Democratic leadership in Albany, which took away the city's VLT money. Ron Kim wants to blame Ivins and Mayor Scott Johnson for failing to cut a deal with Sonny Bonacio for the sale of the High Rock parking lots, for the construction of a parking structure, mixed use building, and police station there -- and for building a recreation center.
Peter Martin, a Democrat running for the finance post, wants to blame, not surprisingly, his opponent.
While some are less-willing to come out and say it directly, everyone also wants to blame the city's unions, who are reluctant to offer any givebacks.
The unions might have had stronger footing for demanding a same-or-better contract, had the bottom not fallen out of the VLT money, and had sales tax followed general economic trends at the same time. As it happens, the city seems to be running out of pockets from which to snatch a few extra dollars, and the money has to come from somewhere. So layoffs appear to be the answer.
Of everyone I spoke to today, Commissioner John Franck seems to be the most satisfied -- although he said he still wouldn't vote for the budget. While he regrets the layoffs, there doesn't seem to be much of an alternative, and if the paid parking solution were tied into capital projects, this budget might fail with two votes instead of one.
Of course, a failing budget that can't be agreed upon by Nov. 30 is actually a passing budget. I think these next two months are going to be rather interesting.
posted by The Saratogian City Desk at
7:11 PM
3 Comments:
Sell high rock ave property, close on the Lillian's Lot sale, use up the rest of the surplus, sell the lake front property, hotel occupancy tax, SPAC tax, NYRA tax, paid parking, increase property tax.
Examine and try it all before you cut 27 people who vote and have families who vote. They are not just numbers, they are people.
Hey Andrew, did you see Newt gingrich wrote a letter to the school board regarding the biking policy.
October 9th, 2009
PRESS RELEASE
PBA President Edward M. Lewis,Jr. issued the following for immediate release
The PBA has read with great interest the public statements of Finance Commissioner Kenneth Ivins suggesting that City Unions should agree to long term agreements with no raise, no longevity payments and increased employee contributions for health insurance plans. Our response is simple. If the City has a proposal for an agreement they should make it at the bargaining table. The PBA does not bargain Contracts in the News Media. The PBA contract expired at the end of 2008. We have been trying to get the City to bargain with us since July of 2008. The place to do that is at the bargaining table, not the six o’clock news.
As for the City’s suggestion on higher employee costs for health insurance, that too is a subject that needs to be discussed at the bargaining table. But the Commissioners do not need our permission to change the contribution rates they make for their own health insurance that the City currently provides at no cost to the Commissioners.
As for threats that the City will begin layoffs if the Unions will not make concessions, we say simply that The PBA is proud of the job it’s members do in protecting the citizens of Saratoga Springs. We believe the Citizens expect and deserve a professional, fully functional police department that has enough personnel to provide quality police protection. No one can seriously argue that the City will be just as safe with fewer Police Officers.
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