The City of Newburgh Common Council voted to pass a budget for 2010 with a tax increase of 26% while laying off about 30 employees. The only dissenting votes came as a protest against their City Manager salary who makes $164K annually. Like the City of Kingston, Newburgh has a deadline to vote on a budget. Theirs however is at the end of November. Kingston has until the end of the year. The months that their Council negotiated with the Unions (looking for help through concessions) fell apart and thus, more people will be out of work in all departments.
The Council was faced with a 35% tax increase before this past Saturday's special meeting. Part of their solution was a $5 million bond. The City of Kingston has already floated a Revenue Anticipation Note just to pay the bills leading into February. Unless that anticipated revenue comes from the State like promised, we may have to follow the same path.
There is still time to discuss the options with OUR unions before the Council meets for the last time in the second week of December.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
13 comments:
All we ask is that the Council consider safety first. Raise taxes if you must, but maintain the Police and Fire protection we need to keep from becoming another Newburgh.
TRB
The current fiscal crisis facing the City of Newburgh is being repeated in cities large and small accross the country. The ecnonomic recession is having a devestating effective on cities trying desparately to find revenues to provide basic services, including police and fire protection.
However, the City of Newburgh can better help manage problems in the future by changing its current form of government to a strong mayor with city council members elected from specific districts or wards within the city. This would allow the mayor to be more hands on and take more responsibility for running the city and at the same time let residents have representatives from their districts or wards who are accountable direclty to them.
I am a Newburgh native and my family lived in the city for many decades. I, like many others, want to see the city survive this crisis and prosper in the future. Changing the city charter to allow a strong mayor form of government won't solve the current crisis but it can go a long way toward help ing to control what direction the city takes in the future.
Larry Delarose
Mike:
As the local optimist- I have to again repeat, the worst is behind us.(in my humble opinion) Now we have to move foward. Larry discusses some excellent ideas and provides a good commentary on the current economic crisis.
We can continue to yell "the sky is falling" and maybe it might, but it is time to move forward and make certain that these areas of economic growth are placed in our rear view mirror. Sure the stock market appears to be signalling an upward direction, and home sales are improving. Almost ready to believe that it will become a sellers market. At this juncture of the road, it is imperative for our national, state and local leaders of government seize the initiative and legislate towards a positive direction.
again, just my three peso's
take care- and to all, best for a haappy healthy Thanksgiving
and tonight at 7:00 PM tune in to channel 23 and watch City & County
guest tonight-
Diane Raeder
Director of Queens Galley
Shelly Z
If we as a municipality need to balance our budget based on concessions from the unions, that is saying our city gov;t has FAILED its people! Unions are designed to help increase the quality of life on the job and, most importantly to form a collective bargaining unit that negotiates in GOOD FAITH during the terms and conditions of that process. It is totally unfair to ask our unions to give back concessions that have been negotiated fair and square. Alderman landi's behavior has been despicable in trying to use an old ploy in painting a picture of total armegedon financially unless the unions "give back". It is paramount that the unions hold strong and NOT give in, come what may!
8:02 Is correct. Concessions are not the way. Union employees bring up the standard of living. Alderman Landi's comments are absurd. NOt only only is he blasting the local unions but, now he is taking on the school district also.
This man has lost his mind. He was once a CSEA member and past president. He took advantage of all his benefits and never once cared about the tax payers who were funding it. Now all of a sudden he is so concerned. I guess he must have spent the money his family got on the ulster county Jail fiasco.
Is alderman landi out of touch with reality?
Landi is a nincompoop. He's trying to scare the unions into giving back. It isn't working Chuck. Stop your whining, roll up your sleeves, and get to work. Less cops, less snowplows, or less firemen? The choice is yours Chuck
Mike the Unions do not trust this Mayor. He cannot keep his word and bad mouths them all the time. Not just CSEA, but the firemen and police also. Now he has his hand out looking for concessions. No union should ever give back what they bargained for in good faith.
We all seen this perfect storm coming and the council chose to argue about a street light all year.
I think Charlie is just throwing things out there and whatever sticks to the wall he will institite some lame brain idea to achieve the result.
Why didn't Schupp stick up for his department? Maybe he can get along with 15 less employees. He should of had some idea of what services were going to be effected. Why didn't the council ask that question? Surely their constituants would want to know what services no to expect in 2010.
Good question 7:02. Eveyone one at the DPW barn was asking the same question. Mike said he was going to stick up for us last Friday. He must have been to busy buying bobcat from his friend.
Charlie Landi is a landlord and I don't think he tells his tenants that when the city raises the taxes on his rental property they have to amend thier lease(contract)he waits until the lease is up then raises the rent.Thats the way it should be for the unions also!!
If we had leaders that could lead by example, not strong arm.
Workers that had pride in thier jobs, not hiding.
Police that were made to clean the streets.
Firefighters that being utilized correctly, and not an overabundance
We would not be in Kingston...
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