SCHENECTADY -- Everything is on the table to help close the fiscal hole left by Mayor Brian U. Stratton's failed curb fee proposal. Along with reducing salaries of nonunionized employees and hiking water and sewer fees on businesses and nonprofits, some police and fire administrators' jobs could be on the line, including that of high-profile Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett.
Director of Administration John Paolino also met Monday with leaders of the city's unions to see if they would be willing to make concessions -- like delaying their scheduled pay raises -- to save some of the 68 employee layoffs in the proposed 2011 budget.
The city began with the mayor's $76.9 million spending plan, which called for deep cuts in the fire, police and parks departments while increasing property taxes 4 percent. For now, one huge cut -- the closure of a firehouse -- appears to be off the table. Stratton had included a curb fee on all property owners to raise money from nonprofits and help avoid an even larger tax increase. But last week, the mayor announced the fee couldn't come close to raising the $1.4 million he projected without becoming an onerous charge on residential property taxpayers.
Now the seven-member City Council has until Monday to adopt a budget, and the members have myriad ideas about how to pay for next year's spending -- and restore controversial cuts to the fire and parks departments.
City Councilman Thomas Della Sala said he does not expect one of the city's four stations to be closed, but added that some of 19 firefighter jobs and 12 police officer positions slated for elimination likely will not be saved.
Della Sala and Councilman Carl Erikson said they want to look at eliminating public safety administrators, which could include any of the four assistant police chief positions or Bennett, whom Stratton hired in 2007 to assist in cleaning up a department rife with rogue cops. Bennett, a former State Police superintendent who now makes about $124,000 a year, is in charge of the police and fire chiefs.
"I can safely say everything is on the table right now," Della Sala said. "Are we looking at people like Wayne Bennett? Yes, we're looking at everyone."
But Stratton is vehement about keeping Bennett, who he said helped him this year in getting officers accused of unethical or unlawful behavior off the police payroll.
"I think he's beloved by the public not because he's a nice guy but because I think he's getting the job done," Stratton said.
City Council President Gary McCarthy said the council is also considering raising water rates on nonresidential, metered customers. General Services Commissioner Carl Olsen also proposed raising the city's garbage fee by about $20 a year to keep the city parks open by putting the parks maintenance crew back in the budget.
Nonunionized employees might face salary reductions. But Stratton said he wouldn't support such an action unless some of the roughly 600 members of city unions agree to pay cuts first. Erikson said council members are also looking into making most of the 36 employees with city cars pay personal mileage for taking the vehicles home each night.
And Stratton has not given up on getting Ellis Medicine and Union College to voluntarily contribute a curb fee. Stratton said he has scheduled meetings with the leaders of both nonprofits this week. He wouldn't say how much he's looking for Ellis and Union to pay.
Della Sala and Councilman Carl Erikson said they want to look at eliminating public safety administrators, which could include any of the four assistant police chief positions or Bennett, whom Stratton hired in 2007 to assist in cleaning up a department rife with rogue cops. Bennett, a former State Police superintendent who now makes about $124,000 a year, is in charge of the police and fire chiefs.
"I can safely say everything is on the table right now," Della Sala said. "Are we looking at people like Wayne Bennett? Yes, we're looking at everyone."
Huh.....I believe this was taken right out of Zollinger's hand book! COPY KATS!!! They don't own one thought of their own!
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
They are looking at everything except the golf pro who is pulling down $314,000 per year and gets 100% of the golf cart rental fees. According to the Gazetto editorial he's doing an "excellent" job. Of what? They decided to hike water and garbage fees. The cuts maybe, iffy, don't want to rush.
No fire fighters will be cut. If they do watch home owners insurance skyrocket. This horrible Mayor wants to beg nonprofits? The same game he's been pulling for 7 years. The lack of leadership is shocking. Send Proctor's, Union and Ellis a bill for $500,000 EACH. Close Dept of Development, close Weed n' Feed, close 3 City Polls, end DSIC funding and every nonprofit handout. Then await further orders.
Quote of the week by horrible Mayor SOS, "He's {Wayne Bennett} is beloved by the public"? Huh? Where? Maybe inside the Mayor's Office. Nowhere else. There is no reason for this extra layer of bureaucracy. We can't afford it no more.
The Commis is going as is, Department of Development, Deputy Mayor, Weed n' Seed, DSIC, non profit contributions, everything but vital police and fire. After 7 years of phony DEM "renaissance" the chickens have come home to roost. They can't budget. They keep hiring lobs. They give away the store to a golf pro. They refuse to cut spending. A militant disregard for the Schenectady taxpayer. Take the money from the street repaving budget-lol.
Quote of the week by horrible Mayor SOS, "He's {Wayne Bennett} is beloved by the public"? Huh? Where? Maybe inside the Mayor's Office. Nowhere elsel.
Check with the folks in Bellevue and Mt. Pleasant and see how the SPD is working for them. Better yet.......I believe there are still 2 shooters and a rapist running around schenectady county!! How's that working for the city????
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
The combined business expertise from all 7 DEM rubber stamps and Mayor SOS is ZERO. A retired art teacher, a community organizer, a Mayor who worked for terrible Patterson, County and retired State employees. And you wonder why we are in a kettle of fish?
For decades the DEMS have been lying that "all is well", we are "working together" with our unified development team, our Finance Department is "fast thinkers"-it's all a crook. Three card monty where the taxpayer always loses. Now the churches must put skin in the game. Now the City Mission must pony up. Now Bethesda House must kick in. The gig is up. The fiscal incompetence is showing. They raise taxes 40% in 7 years and it is not enough.
They obviously are not seeking any answers via taking away the 100% property tax exemptions from million dollar valued properties. This would probably take care of half the budget issue. The other half could be from the mayor giving back that lucrative raise he gave himself. Yeah, he gives it to himself and then raises taxes.
Seven part time council people, they could save probably $70,000 by taking away their fully paid health insurance. When Mark Blanchfield was on the council, he was robbing from ther taxpayers, many of whom cannot afford health insurnace. Mark was a private practice attorney so obviously had a vey generous salary, much more than any citiy employee attorney would make. And his wife is an obgyn in the private sector, so also a huge salary. Didn't their respective employers provide any health insurance? Even if the employer's insurance had a high premium, they could afford it.
Then there's that Joe Allen. I read he retired from the state but that he was enrolled in the health insurance from the city. Why? Because he's a "gimmie gimmie" person and too cheap to pay 25% of the premium as a retiree from the state?
And all those city vehicles for employees who don't pay property taxes.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Now here is a thought. And I don't know if STratton is looking at this---asking employees to give up their raises, or take back some raises.
Isn't it interesting that employees, many who may not be making that much (clerks, typists, laborers) can be asked to give up something, but the Savage millionaires NEVER have to give anything back!
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
First......Stop pension padding!!!! Pensions should be based on 'year worked combined salary'....not based on the padded overtimes last three years!
Second.....Stop city employees from getting reimbursed for their medicare payment ($96/mo) once they retire.
Third......Stop life time benefits to the city/county employer and their spouse once they retire.
Fourth....Stop NYS workers from not paying state tax on their pensions.
Fifth.....Make hospitals pay sales/property tax.
.........that's just a start.........
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
Seven part time council people, they could save probably $70,000 by taking away their fully paid health insurance.
Also, the County Leg has the same, if not better health benefits. Taxpayers have enough burden without paying for the health insurance of the council members, the county legislature ...hey, maybe we even pay for some golf pros too.
Also, the County Leg has the same, if not better health benefits. Taxpayers have enough burden without paying for the health insurance of the council members, the county legislature ...hey, maybe we even pay for some golf pros too.
None of these part time idiots should be getting any health benefits. This is a lifetime ripoff that extends to spouses. The sheeple/taxpayers demand answers! How the heck does a golf pro get ALL the golf cart revenue? The Muni Course makes $500,000 and $314,000 goes to the golf pro. In Albany they make over $1 MILLION and the golf pro makes much less. MC1 is right about the lower revenue because of Metrograft and giveaways. Enough is enough.
Re Nov. 2 article, “Budget OK’d, tinkering goes on”: The Schenectady city budget proposal as approved by the City Council is doing what it’s not supposed to do again. It cuts the basics to the public — and at their expense — but it cuts no waste. The position of mayor should have only basic perks attached, no photo-op trips to the Capitol or political functions. [If there’s a] need to know how another city is handling a matter, [an] e-mail or phone call would suffice — rather that expensive travel. The City Council should have no salaries or perks. The City Council members are part-time, if even that. The public wants people who want to serve, not those who are looking for additional income and power. The council should be made up of volunteers, possibly even the heads of the neighborhood associations, who look out for their areas and not political parties or campaigns. As for the budget, no new taxes or fees are required. If the heads of departments would do their jobs and be out and about, making sure their employees are doing their jobs correctly, some re-dos would not be needed. A prime example of waste is the use of six men with power blowers in Central Park, piling up pine needles from the treed areas so that a vacuum truck with three additional workers could pick them up. All this and one man sitting in a pick up truck watching. I ask, why? I don’t know of other parks that vacuum their pine needles. [You] can’t get a diseased, carpenter ant-infested city tree taken down before dead branches fall and injure someone, but the park will be pine needle free. If this is what the Parks Department finds as appropriately spending my tax dollars while we lay off fi refi ghters who are vital in protecting life and limb, this city should just cease to exist. Also, I see that the council is considering borrowing $100,000 to install parking kiosks downtown. [The city] can’t come up with a sane budget, but still wants to borrow and spend more.
The problem is that it's "tinkering" and not cutting. Spending is up 40% under pathetic Mayor SOS-while revenues are flat. CUT SPENDING! Nothing is happening. Ditto at the SCSD! The Obama stimulus money runs out in 2011-cut once-then cut twice to prepare for 2011 cuts. Central Park is minor. How about 8 City employees wasting 2 days cutting trees from the Mayor's aide property?
SCHENECTADY Low tax lien bids a blow to city’s budget BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter
Selling the city’s unpaid taxes is not going to save next year’s budget. All of the bids for the delinquent tax liens were far lower than expected — and much lower than what the city had budgeted. That means the 2011 budget already has a hole in it, though the dollar amount is not yet clear. “The liens are not where they’re going to be of great benefit to the city,” Director of Administration John Paolino said Friday. Last week, Finance Commissioner Ismat Alam said the bids were so complex that she wasn’t yet sure whether they were higher than budgeted. The city had hoped that a private collection company would pay 75 percent of the dollar amount of the taxes. Alam said she would have to spend this week studying the bids to determine their true value. But on Friday, Paolino said the city quickly started negotiating with the bidders in hopes of convincing one of them to offer more. “We’re in the process of negotiating now,” he said. “We’re discussing all the options with all of them.” For now, he said, the bids are disappointing. “They are below the city’s budget,” he said. City officials had urged the state for years to let them put the tax liens out to bid, arguing they would get more competitive pricing. Their argument was fueled this year by an offer from a company that wanted to buy all of the city’s liens at 103 cents per dollar. The city was legally required, by the state, to stick with its longtime tax lien buyer, American Tax Funding. That company wanted to pay less than 64 cents per dollar for the city’s liens. ................>>>>...................>>>>..................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00103&AppName=1
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They are looking at everything except the golf pro who is pulling down $314,000 per year and gets 100% of the golf cart rental fees. According to the Gazetto editorial he's doing an "excellent" job. Of what? They decided to hike water and garbage fees. The cuts maybe, iffy, don't want to rush.
None of these part time idiots should be getting any health benefits. This is a lifetime ripoff that extends to spouses. The sheeple/taxpayers demand answers! How the heck does a golf pro get ALL the golf cart revenue? The Muni Course makes $500,000 and $314,000 goes to the golf pro. In Albany they make over $1 MILLION and the golf pro makes much less. MC1 is right about the lower revenue because of Metrograft and giveaways. Enough is enough.
