Discussion of these options began earlier this year with the mayor's request to restore money to these divisions to prevent April 15 layoffs arising from passage of the FY 2011 budget in December. The budget had gone all through the process that calls for the administration to present the governing body with a budget which was then introduced, studied, modified by amendments and passed, as City Council President Annie McWilliams noted when the mayor made the request. The affected jobs are those of the purchasing agent and recreation superintendent, although the mayor added on a job in her office and Councilman William Reid wanted to add a specific civilian job in the Police Division to be preserved by restoring funds.
The matter was discussed last month (see Plaintalker post here) with even a higher amount indicated.
As Plaintalker understands it, the layoffs would be averted until the end of the fiscal year on June 30. However, the city would then begin another budget year July 1 and the jobs would remain on the books until further action on the FY 2012 budget.
Speakers on March 7 linked the layoffs to a restoration of $156,000 for the Plainfield Public Library, which had to reduce hours of operation and curtail staff in early 2010 due to budget cuts. Some residents argued on March 7 that city children needed recreation more than the city needs a library, although others have pointed out that a library is also a resource for children. (Disclaimer: My son works 15 hours a week at the library.)
The shift in salaries and wages for Recreation paralleled an initiative by the governing body to establish a Recreation Commission. The ordinance passed on two readings, but the mayor has vetoed it. The council may override the veto if five of seven council members agree on Monday, but council watchers only count likely four solid votes.
The council has suggested that Purchasing functions could be done through the office of the chief finance officer, which was recently filled after a three-year vacancy. But the mayor gave the council and the media a letter from new CFO Ron Zilinski in which he said his office could not handle that change along with all other duties at this time.
The title of the resolution does not address the two other jobs at risk.
The meeting Monday is 8 p.m. in Municipal Court, 325 Watchung Ave.
--Bernice
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ReplyDeleteThere is no comparison between the library and recreation -- the library wins hands down.
ReplyDeleteThe library services many more people, is more efficiently run (remember our librarian got an award), and provides a research resource (jobs), computer access (resume - jobs).
The money the city spends in recreation for the few served is inefficient spending.
Why not make the whole department volunteer? Why not put responsible teens in charge of certain aspects of the program and pay them?
Recreation, when you have the money, is a fine idea. But things are tight, every penny counts now. Cut the non-essential. Find new ways to execute the same functions with less (volunteers).
People have to wake up to what is happening now -- we have to cut, be more efficient, make hard choices, do more with less.
You're keeping all this so nice and sanitized. It's like an academic discussion without the blood and guts of what lies behind the decisions that are being made. Maybe when operating decisions are spelled out and debated we'll actually get some idea what's going on. For the time being it'll have to suffice that what motivates our city government is exclusively political maneuvering on the part of the Administration and City Council, so it is likely that Plainfield will be the loser in the long run, while fiefdoms and favoritism will rule the roost. Keep it clean, straight and narrow. Nobody will know any better.
ReplyDeleteStupid, stupider, studipest.
ReplyDeletePick a name in the administration and put it in whichever comparison you want. It will fit.
Books, community service, education, doing good for the public at large.....hmmmmmmmmmm...oh yes, Sharon's gonna go with Dave over that in a heart beat.
ReplyDelete