SCHENECTADY Stratton says layoffs likely Mayor cites $5M shortfall for 2011 BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Despite six months of belt-tightening and reorganization, the city is still facing a staggering defi cit for next year. At best, Mayor Brian U. Stratton said, the city will have a $5 million hole in the 2011 budget. Layoffs are likely, he announced at Monday’s City Council meeting. “It’s probably going to be necessary,” he said. “We’ll do everything we can to reduce or eliminate that. That may not be possible.” But he emphasized that he isn’t willing to raise taxes instead of cutting city workers. “That’s the last Stratton thing I want to think about or talk about,” he said of tax increases. First, he’s hoping that workers will leave voluntarily. Stratton wants up to a fourth of the city’s 600 employees to retire early this year under a state retirement incentive, which would give him the leeway to reorganize departments without laying off staff. ...................>>>>......................>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00101&AppName=1
Great job DEM "working together team"! After 7 years of SOS and the rubber stamps the harsh reality sets in. Closing all pools but Central Park, massive layoffs and still a $4 MILLION hole in the budget. Maybe wasteful spending should have been curtailed like 5 years ago? What's the latest on the Erie Blvd. project? ROTFLMAO!
The oppressed City sheeple are looking at a double dose of massive School/City tax increases. No wonder so many DEM "leaders" are looking to abandon ship and flee the County. And someone wanted Paulino for Superintendent-NOT!
I'm sure they will find some way to blame Mayor Al! Is Stratton going to speak about this when he goes to Las Vegas to receive his financial excellence awards?
I'm sure they will find some way to blame Mayor Al! Is Stratton going to speak about this when he goes to Las Vegas to receive his financial excellence awards?
Excellence in tax raising, hiring out of towners, destroyer streets and chasing away private sector businesses! SOS also regularly receives environmental awards. It's okay to truck garbage half way around the State wasting millions and creating unnecessary carbon emissions? The chickens are coming home to roost.
He should be getting an award for stupidity for the way he's run Schenectady into the ground, taxed it's residents and businesses so much that many left the county, and for failing to cut spending b4 the city went under. A day of reckoning is coming and the people who live off the hard work of others will have to fend for themselves or we are doomed as a nation for we have too many entitlement programs for the people working to support them all. As our ancestors told us there is no free lunch someones going to pay.
"Despite months of belt tightening"? Huh? More disinformation. There has been no belt tightening. They refuse to go to any nonprofit and demand a PILOT. Start with Union College that has a record endowment. They keep hiring hacks and DEM lobs from outside the City.
SOS will attempt to avoid another tax increase?-lol. The only councilman who stood up to constant tax increases has been shuffled off to City Court. None of these "leaders" has run a lemonade stand. Retired teachers and public employees only interested in the almighty double dip. "I got mine-you get yours".
What about Metrograft? Instead of wasting more money have them kick into the depleted City coffers. Like they do for the towns. Say it was a great success and pull the plug.
what is it that stratton actually does? He has been the most silent and non-mayor I can remember in recent memory.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
He was very vocal about his pay increase, garbage fees and taxpayer funded Jeep {for himself}. He's got to be the worst Mayor in Schenectady history. He created a $13 million budget hole and is blaming the lack of $200,000 in State aid.
what is it that stratton actually does? He has been the most silent and non-mayor I can remember in recent memory.
Besides closing 3 City Pools here's SOS other brilliant idea-not paying the horrible City schools $2 MILLION. Is he nuts? This will only be added to the school taxes. The kids will suffer for his failure to budget or hire nonpolitical fiscal managers. Where's the developers pain?
The Gazetto is asking the wrong Mayor to resign. Keep the Cobleskill Mayor-does he have a $13 MILLION deficit?
Besides closing 3 City Pools here's SOS other brilliant idea-not paying the horrible City schools $2 MILLION. Is he nuts? This will only be added to the school taxes. The kids will suffer for his failure to budget or hire nonpolitical fiscal managers. Where's the developers pain?
The Gazetto is asking the wrong Mayor to resign. Keep the Cobleskill Mayor-does he have a $13 MILLION deficit?
I agree that stratton is a pathetic major.....but I agree with closing the pools. Sorry, but they went through the same issue in troy. My question is, since when did it become the roll of government to provide swimming pools? For me it falls into the same category as.....since when did it become the roll of government to provide a theater aka proctors?
It's time to make government lean and lower taxes.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler