Ken Ivins got a bad rap. While not the sharpest dresser or fast talker he always put the interest of the city’s taxpayer FIRST. Now after criticizing Ivin’s 0% tax increase for the 2012 budget we have our newly minted Commissioner of Finance Michele Madigan proclaiming that Ivin’s 2011 budget has left the city with a larger than anticipated surplus.The unrestricted fund balance stands at about $6.2 million, up $2 million from 2010. Madigan believes the balance is supposed to be between 10 and 12.5 percent of the annual budget, and says by policy any excess or deficit needs to be addressed by the Finance commissioner. My question first is why? Policy can be changed.
She has some suggestions about how to spend the cash.
Mindful the PBA was one of her biggest supporters, taking their endorsement and $1,000.00 from them she has proposed spending some of the surplus on police station renovations. This despite the fact there is already $50,000 in 2012 Capital Budget for renovations.Now I know most of you read the Saratogian story today. I hope some of you read the Gazette story yesterday by Lee Coleman on the surplus. In it Madigan blames the surplus “on devastating cuts to essential services.”
Really Madigan, can you quantify that? I still see cops parked sitting for hours, sometimes with two to a car. We still have card games at the cities garage and working fireman roam the aisles of Price Chopper. Drastic cuts Michele?
The last council trimmed an ounce of fat on a 300 pound sow. No one even noticed.
Now want to know my predictions?
First thing Madigan and Public Safety Commissioner” toothy” Christian Mathiesen will passionately argue for restoration of a Personnel Director at over 100k a year, than they will lobby just as hard for “Screwy Louie” Benton’s return to city director of parks and open space for 100k a year. A useless patronage position created for him by Val Keehn and eliminated by Scott Johnson.
Of course they will also argue for more personal across the board in all departments, because their Democrats it’s what they do.
But the big one, the whole enchilada is a NEW POLICE STATION and eastern fire station.
Madigan and Mathiesen will be doing a lot of “new research” in the coming months and just like “Dear Leader” Ron Kim before them they will independently conclude “never been a better time to borrow money”
And this has been the plan from the first day they ran for office.
Remember you read it here first.
18 comments:
This is like watching a long slow train wreck
Here's a novel idea: How about using the "excess surplus" (Sounds like a term from orwell's 1984) to rebate some property taxes to homeowners?
Stealing an idea from Paul Kersey on the TU blog........
Why should we "give" the PD anything? The union is always demanding that they be compensated if it is even hinted that they lose some contractual item in their contract. So if we "give" them a new station, what do we get in return? More bureacracy, more offices for more police? The cops say that they never see the chief now, so what will happen with a bigger office space?
Let's negotiate this bonus for the cops. What will they give the taxpayers in return for a new Taj Mahal?
Let's see......"Screwy Louie" (your moniker) already is receiving social security, a nice pension from the county, and he "needs another patronage job?"
The guy has been on the public breast since day one. Urban Renewal, county, city, you name it, he's had it.
Not to mention the public jobs his wife has had handed to her.
Already there's construction going on at the Lake Ave fire dept. It's such a pain trying to drive down Hodgeman St. God forbid you want to walk down the street. No sidewalk due to storage containers and firemen trucks.
@3:33 - The rule with VLT funds is that they can ONLY be used for projects/expenses directly connected to the casino, or to offset taxes.Looks like the responsible thing is to use this years VLT to offset taxes.
Is Bonacio working on Hodgeman Street?
Yes?
Well, then just deal with it.
Carte Blanche
The construction at the fire house is long overdue and was in the capital Budget. Floor is being replaced. There is $1million of VLT dollars that can go to budget but that will only cover wage increases and payroll tax. nay increase in pension costs, health insurance or other major projects will have to be covered by increased revenue in sales tax and occupany and mortgage tax which are running well over last year to date. DPW should be well under budget after weak first quarter. The 2013 budget will be the key. Additional three police is a must. Fievout on disability and retirements to come. The success or lack of success of the Ambulance Service will be critical. With almost $250,000 planned for 2012-2013 improvements to police station I don't see any move for a new one. The East side facility will take a back seat as well. I DON'T SEE THIS COUNCIL AS TAX AND SPEND EVEN THOUGH PURCHASING THE SWAMP IS NOT AN ESSENTIAL MOVE. November election for President will have a major impact. If Europe fails the economy will fall into severe recession for a extended period of time. That's the two year picture. Need plan for parking facility ASAP. Will there be a level for employees and a reasonable weekly rate to establish a fund for ongoing maintenance etc. Will affordable apartments be successful and how much money will the city have to spend to makle the city bicycle friendly It will never happen because the infrastructure of the city and streets is not adaptable for the program. try the many trails despite the ticks if you need exercise. That's the tale of 2012-2013.
6:59
Whew, take a breath.
@6:59 - For what we spent on construction at the firehouse, we could have put up a new, simple firehouse. Metal structure, similar to what volunteer units in the area have. We could have put it out on Weible, where the city has property, it would have given closer access to the lake, and given us coverage for the East and North sides of town, while the West Ave department could cover the West and South very easily.
The firehouse on Lake would draw a pretty penny, and that money could be used to offset the cost of the parking garage. We'd have better coverage, a better facility, less hassles downtown since the truck wouldn't break traffic on Lake everytime it goes out, and less people to bother with the sirens on Weible Ave too.
This rebuild was a waste of funds.
How about giving the tax payers a refund????
It's not just Saratoga. It's a genetic defect in all Democrats.
(Office of the Commissioner of Finance)
MadyGirl: I can't believe they FIREWALLED the websites for Us Weekly, OK, and People Magazine on the City Hall server. What do they expect me to do at this computer? Maybe Mealeo.com can deliver Cosmos? Nope, stinkers!
I mean I guess could actually take a look at the budget. Huh, this is funny it seems that Ken Ivins was really doing a pretty good job. His budgets managed to avoid raising taxes, forced to departments to run with some efficiency, and even managed to stock up a nice reserve in case the wheels fall off the economy again.
I have no clue how he managed to do all that AND show up at meetings in shirts with appropriate necklines. Oh well, guess I should come up with a way to spend this cash in the name of "HOPE" and "CHANGE" right?
/twirls hair, snaps gum, stairs off into the distance
(Door Flies Open - then is slammed, viciously and repeatedly, on an innocent citizen, in full restraints, who was arrested without cause, and who happens to have a slightly dark skin tone)
Pudgy Paul: Did I hear there's money to spend??? How about raises for the hard working men and women of the SSPD? You know how hard it is to survive on $75,000 - $100,000 a year, especially when most of the force is paying out alimony and child support to the ex-wives they cheated on, on top of their own expenses?
MadyGirl: I'm pretty sure those are a contractual thing. Nothing I can do there. Take it up with the Mayor.
PudgyPaul: Johnson, he calls himself a REPUBLICAN, and he has the nerve to stand up to big labor and big government. My family and the Sciroco's have been Republican's in this town WAY longer then him, and we know what it's about.
Johnson's gotta wake up and wise up. Learn to take the money and run. My brother showed Roy the way, and look at him now??? Maybe if Johnson got the picture he wouldn't have had to waste his time with a successful law career, and profitable investments in local businesses, and could enjoy a nice seat with the rest of us at the government teet.
So if we can't do raises how about a new police station? Everyone has been kinda freaked out at the old one since we let that bitch die there.
MadyGirl: Umm, I mean I don't care WHAT you'd want the money for, I just wanna make sure we spend it. You probably have to get the PS Commish to ask for the new police station though.
(Pudgy Paul reaches into his front pocket, which is also full of Dunkin Donuts wrappers, and produces Toothy)
Toothy: Yes! Yes! Build a new police station. We need to help these guys out. Put yourself in these guys shoes for a minute. You've got nothing more then a high school diploma for an education, you're making $75,000 - $100,000 a year, plus paying peanuts for medical and retirement. You've gotta drive into work from your house in Milton or Wilton, just to avoid paying the taxes that support your own salary. On top of that all the outrageous charges you file wind up getting tossed out in court, so you start looking like a joke. Then, when you get to work, you're in a dingy basement.
Why do you think they're all napping in the St. Pete's cemetery, parked three deep at Officer Russ' Subway shop on South Broadway, or on disability because they got there asses kicked by drunks and 20 year old boys at liberal arts schools? How do you expect morale to improve if we don't get them a decent station with enough room to continue bloating the departmental administration instead of putting cops on the street?
Pudgy Paul: That'll do Toothy, That'll do.
/flips Toothy a piece of sugar free gum and waits for Toothy to jump back into his pocket.
MadyGirl: Well you made my mind up, the only thing to do is build a new police station with the money. I'll have somebody get in touch with Best Buy about the layout of the custom home theater. How your officers figure out how many flat screens and fridges you guys need to make it work.
Pudgy Paul: Best $1,000 I ever spent that wasn't on something covered in gravy.
Has anyone reviewed the last three years of SSFD budget. Sick time as an expense was higher than OT all three years. Guess working one day with three off is breaking down their immune system.!!!
Interesting satire, very interesting. I hear that the crime rate at the St Peter's cemetery is down to zero.
And the PBA is asking citizens for more money in the fundraiser that was just mailed out.
Is Pudgey Paul in charge of that too?
And i thought pudgy paul and the rest of his family was the premiere family in town. That's what Citizen Clancy stated on her blog.
I live in stillwater not saratoga,To show you how stupid the PBA is they keep sending me donation requests, and I write F>>>U on them GO EAT A DOUGHNUT,RETARD and send them back to them,its worth the stamp LOL
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