Questions Monday over funding the new Charter Study Commission led to City Council members asking for full details on a temporary three-month budget for 2013.
The city will enter its second calendar budget year in January, having switched from one that ran from July 1 to June 30. The Charter Study Commission came into existence by way of the November ballot, which included a public question on formation of the commission as well as voters' choice on five commissioners. The temporary budget is based on 26.25 percent of the 2012 budget, but there was no precedent for the commission.
Presented with a $5,000 allocation for the commission, some council members felt it was not enough to cover the group's initial expenses and suggested increasing it to $10,000. Due to a delay in official election results because of Hurricane Sandy, the commission only began its work last week and has yet to draw up a budget. Jeanette Criscione, newly elected treasurer of the commission, told the council the largest anticipated expense is printing and bringing information to the public. Councilwoman Rebecca Williams said a single citywide mailing can run into thousands of dollars and called the proposed increase "a reasonable expense." But Councilman William Reid suggested establishing a budget and asking for more money in April.
After another request to increase the Shade Tree Commission's funding from $5,000 to $20,000 was deemed no problem, Williams asked why the administration took issue with the Charter Study Commission increase. City Administrator Eric Berry said the Shade Tree Commission's increase was due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which had just been discussed.
Council President Adrian Mapp also pressed for a reason why the Charter Study Commission's request was not allowed.
"I don't think that's material at this point," Reid said.
Councilman Cory Storch noted "a bunch of items" exceeded the 26.25 percent limit. Berry called on Lisa Marshall of Audit & Control to explain. Marshall said as long as the overall amount did not exceed that percentage, there could be variables, but Storch insisted the administration should be ready to explain each item. Reid said the January through March budget had 100 percent of the annual cost for snow removal, but other lines just had small changes in percentages.
City Solicitor David Minchello also noted that the temporary budget could be amended later, if the council wished to do so.
The discussion ended with Storch calling for the administration to provide explanation of every amount over or under the 26.25 percent.
The temporary budget has 98 lines for salary and wages or "other expenses." Among the larger deviations are 49.85 percent for other expenses in Tax Collection; just 2.05 percent of last year's $487,930 budget for salary and wages in the Health Division; and 56.18 percent for "Green Acres Loan Principal and Interest."
The entire resolution is on file in the City Clerk's office and will be voted on at the Jan. 3 reorganization meeting.
--Bernice
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I see politics at play with the funding of the Charter Commission, and I get the sense the 9-month window in which the commission must complete its work will be nickled and dimed to the greatest extent possible. Face it, any substantive changes will very likely impact the powers-that-be, and that, we know, will not go down well with those in city government who benefit from obscuring details, cutting legal corners, and obstructing the sun from shining its light on what's really going down.
ReplyDeleteI find it almost humorous that persons like Councilman Reid show such caution about appropriating $5000 or $10,000 for start-up costs when just two years ago the city showed no caution whatsoever before it handed over $187,000 in an illegal job training contract to Malcolm Dunn's Incubator when there was virtually no time left before the services needed to be performed and the money spent. That was a fraud any way you look at it. It deprived Plainfield of an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of eligible residents, while at the same time it was conceived as an end run around a whole variety of regulations and procedures pertaining to job training using Federal funds. In that case, the Administration's and City Council's prime motive was to funnel the money to the Dunns, whether legal or not.
It's stuff like that the Charter Commission needs to address, because it's stuff like that that casts an evil spell over a city that's hurting as much as we are. Any changes in the structure or rules that govern Plainfield will get in the way of the cabal of self-serving individuals that run things around here, so I see a protracted battle for funds that may hamper the commission's important and detailed work.
That said, I am disturbed by the close association that some commission members have with Adrian Mapp and sincerely hope their work is non-partisan in the sense that Plainfield comes first, and not political ambition. In between his photo-ops, he has proven to be as friendly as the indefensible mayor Robinson-Briggs to doling out the pork to hustlers and scammers at our expense.
My advice to the commission- keep your distance. You are working for us, not the City Council or Administration.
I agree with Alan and we can see how corrupt this administration and it's Democratic allies are. Reid needs to go and someone who thinks about Plainfield and not political games needs to take his place. I hate to think how much worse it will get starting in January. I can't wait until Shady Sharonda is gone next year.
ReplyDeleteBernice - a correction on this post. I asked the administration to explain variances in the temporary (3 month) budget that exceeded 5% over or under the 26.25% total budget appropriation allowed by the state for a temporary budget.
ReplyDeleteIt is reasonable and expected for the Mayor and her cabinet to know why these variances exist and to be able to explain them to the Council and the public. It is not a good sign that they were unable to do so at the last Council meeting (but it is not surprising).
Cory Storch
2nd Ward City Councilman
The fact that each line time does not adhere to the 26.25% figure is not surprising. A properly developed temporary budget prepares for expected expenses in the three month period, and will cover any bills that may come due. Some items may be higher than the 26.25%, and some may be lower.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, the powers that be should be positioned to identify significant variances. A simple mathematical formula calculates 26.25% of last year's budgeted amount. Any line item varying from the results of that formula must have had a reason. Just articulate the reasons.
A standard 3 month temporary budget every town approves throws the residents of the Big House into knots? What will happen when they try to wrestle a new charter that NO one else in the State is using [we are special here, maybe we should get a trophy also]. This i am afraid is worse then OZ.
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