With rain from Hurricane Sandy slamming the windows of the City Council chambers on Monday, hinting at more bad weather to come outside, lawmakers inside were bracing for bad news from the mayor on how many layoffs, service cutbacks, and possible tax increases will be included in his budget plan, now scheduled to be released on Thursday.
Mayor Paul Dyster, who has delayed presenting what he has described in the past as a “disaster budget” since Oct. 1, told lawmakers at Monday afternoon’s council work session that his plan will now be ready to be released Thursday at 4 p.m.
Lawmakers are still in the dark on the specifics likely to be presented on Thursday in the mayor’s plan for the coming year although it is expected to contain job cuts of between 30 and 40, service rollbacks, and possible tax increases to close a deficit that reportedly ranges between $7 million and $10 million.
“When it gets here, I will go through it line by line,” said Councilmember Glenn Choolokian hinting that lawmakers may take an axe to any spending they regard as unnecessary in these difficult times to avoid any possibility of a tax hike, following up on cuts they have already made in the Community Development budget.
When asked if he was still going to present a “disaster budget,” Mayor Dyster said “it is a very difficult budget but a little less painful,” although he would not say why the budget picture has improved even slightly from the earlier dire warnings. It may be that Dyster has been able to secure assistance from Albany but he would not comment on that possibility on Monday.
The city’s very precarious fiscal situation stems in part from the failure to receive upwards of $58 million in casino revenue over the last three years, money the Seneca Gaming Corporation has refused to pay the state for the host communities of the gaming compact because of their claim the state has violated the gaming agreement by opening casinos in three Western New York locations. The issue is currently before an arbitration panel.
In response to that gaming dispute that has held Niagara Falls hostage, the council on Monday night passed a resolution sponsored by Choolokian and Council Chairman Sam Fruscione to assess fees on the state and the Senecas for services like emergency responses and snow plowing that they receive from city crews.
“We will send them a bill, ranging from $528 an hour for a hazardous materials response to $224 per vehicle for fire response,” said Choolokian. Fruscione, in sponsoring the resolution had previously stated it was time to show the state and the Senecas that hard-working city taxpayers were getting tired of paying all the freight and getting nothing back in return. The resolution passed 4 to 1 with only Councilmember Kristen Grandinetti voting in the negative. |