City Manager proposes tax increase is 3.9%, no layoffs, some service reductions.
2011 Proposed Budget (NOTE: This is a 12.9 MB PDF File and may be slow to open/download)
Operating fund expenses decrease $1.38 mm.
Tax Levy increase is less than 1% (similar to Westchester County)
Overall impact of tax increase on property owner’s tax bill, including school and county, is less than 1%. City is 18% of all “local” taxes. Average tax bill will go up $113.
Budget meetings
11/16 – Special Meeting on Budget: City Manager Presentation to City Council
11/17 – Special Meeting on Budget: DPW, Development, Smaller Departments Make Presentations to City Council
11/30 – Special Meeting on Budget: Additional Discussion, Q&A from City Council
12/7 – Public Hearing on Budget 7:30 PM
Since August 2008 hiring freeze City has eliminated 57 positions (9% of workforce); 2011 budget eliminates 26 positions.
No new revenue for the City in this budget.
Three major sources of tax revenue for City: Property Tax (down), Mortgage Tax (down), Sales Tax (Up but Reduced)
74% of budget is personnel and 3/4 of that is personnel in core services (Police, Fire, DPW)
Only CSEA (office workers) and Local 663 (DPW) have contracts; all other unions working without a contract.
Impact on Core Services
Operating hours at Hudson Park Beach will be reduced in the summer; beaches closed on Monday and Tuesday, as Westchester County did with Glen Island Park.
Fire Department — eliminated rescue company, reduced overtime/minimum manning, reduced fire prevention efforts. 6 positions are funded for just 6 months, City applying for SAFER grant to fund those positions for the second half of the year. If the grant is not approved (and last year it was not) then those positions will be eliminated or alternative funding needs to become available.
Police Department — 189 in 2008 down to 173 in 2011. Suspending Explorer program, GREAT (gang-resistance) program, move away from community policing, great focus on car patrols, losing 7 CSO positions through attrition.
NOTE: Contrary to statements made at the Reform Club meeting last week, the budget does not call for an additional 5 police officers.
Public Works – down 12 positions, reduction in sidewalk cleaning, pot hole repair, storm drain cleaning.
Parks — Hudson Park closes 2 days a week over the summer
Avalon/IDA Advance. City got $3mm 7 weeks ago for 2010. In 2011, $1.5 will go into Fund Balance.
Reserve Fund is dangerously low, leaves little margin for unexpected expenses, State recommends 5-10% of budget or about $6mm so the reserve is well below the recommended minimum.
QUESTIONS ASKED BY TALK OF THE SOUND
1. Will the issue of Crossing Guards no longer working during the middle of the day due to school district move to full-day K be addressed
City is evaluating alternative methods, expects something by early next year, residents will not see crossing guards working corners where no kids are crossing during the middle of the day.
2. Will the budget impact on the Fire Department cause an increase in response time, put the City’s ISO rating in jeopardy?
Fire Commissioner should be the one answering that question but there should be no impact on response time and ISO rating.
3. What about borrowing to pay for pension contribution increases?
The City has no control over pension costs. In 2002, pension contribution was $200,000. In 2010, pension contribution about $9.2 mm, a 4600% increase.
4. What do you say to residents facing not only local tax increases but bonding on water treatment plan (about $600 per household), United Water increase, the 30% of property owners who pay no taxes?
The Public Service Commission ignored the City, gives residents a “double whammy” — paying for the rate increase and paying through their taxes for the increase in fire hydrant rental fees. City already pays $1mm to have hydrants, the costs of which are not borne by non-tax paying entities. City does not write the Constitution or make the laws regarding who pays taxes.
5. What about pension financing? Risks in that?
Borrowing to pay pension costs is not something we wanted to do. We have to start paying that next year. We’re in serious trouble, we need pension reform, cannot borrow forever.
PULL QUOTES:
“Best of a lot of bad choices we had” – Chuck
“We are on the borderline” – Howard
“On multi-year projections, we don’t see things getting better” – Chuck
“We’re in serious trouble” – Chuck
VIDEO
Part 1 of 3
Part 2 of 3
Part 2 of 3
City of New Rochelle Press Release
2011 Proposed Budget Released
New Rochelle, NY – New Rochelle City Manager Charles Strome III today released his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011. In the face of the worst economic environment since the Great Depression and despite reduced revenues, a diminishing property tax base and large increases in employer pension and health insurance costs, the budget calls for a property tax levy increase of less than one percent. The average homeowner in New Rochelle will see an increase to their tax bill of $113 for the year.
“Our property tax base continues to be the victim of the global mortgage crisis that began in late 2007,” said Strome. “Falling real estate prices have led to a record number of assessment grievances, which in turn has reduced our taxable roll this year by over $9 million. Consequently, our proposed 3.9% property tax rate increase generates no additional tax revenues in 2011.”
Many of the City’s historical major revenue sources, such as sales taxes, mortgage taxes, building permits and State aid, have been negatively impacted by economic conditions, necessitating greater reliance on the local property tax. Additionally, huge increases in employee pension costs set by the State Comptroller, along with lesser increases in health insurance costs, have strained the City’s budget.
“We will continue to aggressively reduce expenditures that we can control, but mandated pension and health cost increases, as well as the havoc caused by the global economy, are areas over which we have no control,” added Strome.
The budget proposes to eliminate 26 full-time positions in 2011 through attrition, for a total of 57, or 9% of the workforce, over the past two years. The budget also calls for reduced operating hours of the Hudson Park beach, a cut in storm drain cleaning and tree trimming services, elimination of funding for the Fourth of July fireworks celebration and the day laborer site, and defers most capital improvements and equipment purchases.
“These are not easy times,” concluded Strome. “The entire City must work together to ensure that the high level of essential services we presently deliver are not materially diminished.”
Copies of the proposed budget are available in the City Clerk’s office, at the New Rochelle Public Library and on the City’s website www.newrochelleny.com/budget The City Council will conduct budget review meetings in November and hold a public hearing on December 7th in advance of the adoption of a tax rate in December.
Developing…
Job postings
Today the city posted a job for a buildings department clerk at a rate of$12.00 a hour. I thought we were in a hiring freeze? What a joke! The going on’s in this city are near criminal. He’ll let’s close the whole damm city down. Vote them all out in 2011 let’s take are city back from the criminals in 515 north ave and I mean all of 515 north ave
our parks ??????
south side man,
You mean the grand land masses we have but can’t do anything in .
No ball playing
No bike riding .
no kite flying .
No picnicing
no roller blading
Fishing by city permit only
No fishing without new york state permit
No fishing at davenpot park .Why ? Is that not part of the subtle reflection of nature .
Hudson park has two picnic gazebos ,and used to have BBQ’s pits , where did they go.??????????
Il will tell you ”’ 5 island park .Thats where.
Hudson Park is a beautiful place , LET”S USE IT LIKE WE USE TO.
When you go to hudson park they tell you that a yearly residents pass is needed …..OK!! but you cant buy one there NOOOOOOO!!!,,,,,,,,,,,, you have to go to city hall. WHY CANT I JUST BUY ONE THERE . Are they that busy???? NOOOOOOOO…. god forbid they make it easy to obtain ,you just might sell some more permits, and get more people to enjoy the park.
How about some fishing night’s with snack bar opened and some music, D.J, or Live( you see that takes a little imagination) … Five dollars , for adults 1 dollar for kids, two dollars to park after 5:00 pm till 12:00 Pm.
.( FISHING ON THE PIER not in the parking lot casting into the channel and hitting the passing boat’s ) have the bathrooms open so people dont have to urinate in the bushes like they do now ,O gee and maybe sell some refreshments to the adult’s… BEER ,WINE maybe an oldies night ..
put up a tent !! make a lttle money off the hundred or so fisherman and their families that hit the park every night in june , july , aug.( this idea is for free, i have alot more of them )but I am not the one getting paid to be a parks comm,……. And yes they get paid for what they do!!! believe it or not ..now if they would just do somthing to earn it ….
And what about our park dept heads that have no imagination ,or tallent to uttilize our water front parks to even generate enough money to break even,like our surroundung city”s.
Yes.. New Rochelle ..Queen city of the sound…
If we ran our parks as good as Sal does the Marina, we would be in great shape””””””
Does any one in the park’s dept do anything besides the concert in the shell night. that is alot of fun ,but we have been doing it for how long ? Now that we have achieved that goal, can we move off it as a cruch and do other things too?? I know i know
THAT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE TALLENT!
Just an IDEA for our PARK BRAINIACS”””””””
Amazing
Let me get this straight…..
*Bigwigs get offered 86% buyout in attempt to save the city money.
*They turn down the incentive.
*Then get pay raises.
Really? Wow!
How many got raises besides those two? There are probably more. I didn’t see that in the budget.
I really hope this isn’t true.
Deminish services fairly / north & south to save firefighters
Let’s all share the pain! If Hudson Park is closed on Monday and Tuesday why not shut the Dog Park, Community Garden and Pinebrook Tennis Courts two days a week? Share the pain and we can save the fate of six firefighters come June.
Yes, let’s all share the
Yes, let’s all share the pain!, why not close all the parks? why just one, as this makes no sense at all, just to close one. If you just closed them all for one day, now that would make sense!
What a Shame!
Of course they cut positions in the budget..they need the money for the raise Commissioner Murphy and Bill Zimmerman got after turning down the big 86% buy out they were offered. People are losing thier homes and New Rochelle keeps building them..who can affored to live here!! We dont need anymore people living here..the more people ..the more garbage…the more people…the more added calls for police and fire services! You keep cutting positions, who the hell is gonna pick up your garbage or answer your calls for help! OOOOh wait I’ll tell ya…all the Big Wigs running this city ..because pretty soon they will be the only ones left working for this city!
The system is broken and must be fixed!
How can we reach the people who keep voting for current administration expecting different results?
And poll workers should not be helping people fill out ballots. The polls were a sham, and I think an equal ballance of poll workers from different parties is necessary.
The system is broken and unless we fix it we are all toast.
Any suggestions???
Hudson park
Ok why don’t we close Hudson park,five islands, davenport ,the pool on lincon this way we save real money. How much money are we saving by closing Hudson park mon and tues? Give me a break! Oh now they are going to cancel the fireworks ha ha. If the city would just move the date a week before or a week after they would save alot of money No holiday pay for police and fire. Oh and what’s this one no cso’s if not mistaken the city layed off 3 last year and then hired them back because revue was down and police operations were being affected and the 24/7 parking could not be enforced. It’s becoming a circus in city hall and this city and it’s officials better WAKE UP. We the city is in BIG trouble and we need people to lead us and not bleed us. We can no longer blame dems and republicans blame what’s there now and Vote them the hell out in 2011.
Green Question
Did the city mention whether they are continuing full force with the costly green initiatives and green staffing/consulting?
the video will be posted soon
so you can watch the whole thing but that subject did not come up.
The GreeNR issue was raised last week at the Reform Club meeting. Council Member Lou Trangucci said the Council had finished its review and that the Mayor wanted it voted on. What exactly the Council would be voting on is unclear because all that has been presented is a brochure.
Meanwhile, the discussion at the City Council meetings did show that a number of the ideas are contained in the GreeNR document are theoretical, known already to be unworkable, were shredded through questioning by Council Members or otherwise non-starters.
For example, GreeNR talks about loans that home owners would take out to fix up a property to make it more “green” and that these loans would be liens against the property that would somehow carry over to any subsequent homeowners. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced last June that they would not purchase home loans with such a lien in place. They are about 70% of the market so that pretty much kills this idea yet it is still in the plan.
Jim Stowe demonstrated with one questions that zero thought had been put into how the “GreeNR Seal” would work where the City would certify homes as “green”. Stowe asked what liability the City would have if they certified a home that later turned out to have asbestos. After much sputtering it was clear this idea had not been thought through and was DOA yet the imagined $144mm in value to be created by this magic (phony) program is still in the plan.