WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL-CHRONICLE EXAMINER. March 11, 2009: Mayor Joseph Delfino told the White Plains Common Council tonight the city was in a budget “emergency.” Just four months ago in October, the city said it was in good shape financially (after a robust first quarter) but watchful and worried. That has changed dramatically.
To address an immediate need to fill a $9.3 Million plus budget gap, Mayor Joseph Delfino introduced three home rule requests Wednesday evening. The first requests an additional ¼% in sales tax for the city from the state legislature, another establishing a municipal development agency and a third requesting the establish of separate commercial and residential tax rates for the city.
He hoped the council would grant the requests for home rule tonight in order that the Mayor could go to Albany before April 6 and lobby for passage of the ¼% sales tax, the municipal development agency and separate tax rates with Assembly Legislators Richard Brodsky, Legislator Adam Bradley and Legislator Amy Paulin.
The Common Council, with Dennis Power and Tom Roach citing lack of information on what cuts the Mayor had made in the budget, voted 4-2 with Councilpersons Benjamin Boykin, Milagros Lecuona, to table the Mayor’s three “home rule” resolutions until the pros and cons could be discussed in public at the Common Council meeting of April 6 when the 2009-2010 budget is introduced. Councilperson Rita Malmud was not at the meeting. Councilman Glen Hockley and the Mayor opposed the table.
The top side number of the 09-10 City Budget (projected by WPCNR at about $167 Million if the city rolls over the current budget at a 4% and delivers union raises of 3-4% across the board, and $161 Million if the city keeps the budget at the present level), remains a mystery at this point. Paul Wood, Executive Officer, and the Mayor did not reveal what that budget number was currently on the table. There have been no public meetings called by the Mayor to discuss the budget since October.
Mayor Delfino began the proceedings by saying he called the meeting to readdress budget issues that had come up last year ( a ½ % sales tax increase – which the council cut to ¼%– and the city municipal development agency) that the council had rejected.
He said “the city is truly facing a financial emergency,” and that the issue of an additional ¼% sales tax should be “relooked at as we look at so many things we’re doing and looking into the future, it’s important we look at every possible revenue, rethink and be extremely creative. There is no more (expenses) to cut. We know the issues,” the Mayor said sternly, (sales tax ), “I need direction (from the Council). I cannot spend time in
Council President Benjamin Boykin said, “I’m a little confused, why it can’t be dealt with at our regular meeting in April.”
The Mayor testily replied it would take “considerable time discussing it (the three home rule requests) in
The Mayor continued, “We’ve massacred expenses,” saying the council would see that when they received the budget, “that’s the point.”
CouncilmanTom Roach (far left) interjected, wanting to know what those budget cuts were. The Mayor’s Office has for the last six weeks, declined repeated WPCNR requests for a detailed list of all budget cuts by department, layoffs and cost cutting moves. The Mayor declined to say how much he had cut from the budget tonight.
“I can’t decide without information (on the cuts),” Roach said, “I need to see more of the budget.”
The Mayor grumbled, saying the council should be aware the city is facing a $9.3 Million budget shortfall going into the next year and “it could be higher.” The Mayor said “There is no revenue.”
He said the fund balance would be used to take care of the present shortfall, leaving the city with no cushion for the 2009-10 budget, which was why the home rule requests were introduced, to get the revenue tools in play.
The Mayor repeated that the city faced a $9.3 Million budget gap because there was no development, dropping building permits issuances to almost zero. He chided the council for refusing certain projects (the Cappelli Station Plaza project comes to mind). He also cited the sales tax is down and the mortgage tax collections, and parking fines are down (“you can’t fine cars that aren’t here.”) He mentioned the Zoning Board did not meet and the Planning Board met for one hour at its last meeting.
Roach said, despite the Mayor’s argument the sales tax does not affect most residents adversely,“Before I can agree to raise taxes and more fees, “ he needed to see the expense cuts.
The Mayor said, “Every day our situation is getting worse.”
Councilman Dennis Power jumped in, saying that when the Mayor described tonight’s meeting as an emergency financial meeting, he felt “the public needs to be involved.”
The Mayor majestically stated, “Mr. Power, I have noticed you are process oriented. I’m results-oriented.”
Power pointed out that the last two televised Common Council meetings lasted 20 and 19 minutes and the financial issue was not discussed. However, no member of the Common Council spoke up on financial concerns at either of those two meetings, either.
Exasperated, Power introduced a motion to table the three resolutions until April 6. Benjamin Boykin quickly seconded. The Mayor wanted to discuss it further, but Power pointed out the motion to table had been moved and seconded. The roll was called. The resolutions tabled, 4-2 and the meeting abruptly.
The council was observed by representatives of the Civil Service Employees Association, and the police and fire unions, all of whom are working without contracts. Police and fire personnel were denied a 3.75% pay increase by the council in December.
By voting to table, the council missed an opportunity to call on Acting Budget Commissioner David Birdsall (whom they had rejected as unqualified for the position in December) to explain the budget and expense cutting in detail that had been done to date and to clarify what the possible budget now under consideration was.
Mr. Birdsall, Paul Wood, City Executive Officer, and City Assessor Lloyd Tasch, and Parking Department brass, Commissioner of Parking Albert Moroni and Deputy Commissioner John Larson were in attendance in the audience though no parking matters were on the agenda that concerned their agency.
Paul Wood interviewed by WPCNR said he could not comment on what the city position with the unions was. The union personnel left before WPCNR could collar them, but their leaders have not returned calls in the past. Two police officers asked by WPCNR what the union had been telling them about the state of their in limbo pay raise, respectfully declined to comment
Wood declined to say what the projected budget was.
