The City Council will meet tonight at 6:00 p.m. to vote on breaking the tax levy cap and approving the City Manager’s proposed budget.
At the budget meeting last night Council Members proposed adding back $1.1 mm to the budget including restoring overtime for the New Rochelle Fire Department and Loose Left Pick Up for the Sanitation Department.
The specific proposed changes to the City Manager 2013 Budget are as follows:
- Rackman, Trangucci proposed restoration of Firefighter Overtime, +$300,000, source TBD.
- Fertel, Trangucci proposed restoration of Leaf Pick-up, +$250,000, source TBD.
- Hyden proposed adding Enhanced Marketing, +$60,000, source TBD.
- Hyden proposed adding Capital Fund for Economic Growth, +$250,000, source TBD.
- Hyden proposed raising Development Outreach Materials, +$75,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed reducing Capital Fund for Vehicles, -$300,000, from proceeds of proposed bond issuance.
- Trangucci proposed reducing Incentives for Private Contributions, +$35,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed eliminating Intergovernmental Advocacy, -$50,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed reducing Set Aside Matching Funds, -$50,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed eliminating Sanitation Study, -$75,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed reducing Development Consultant, -$50,000, source TBD.
- Trangucci proposed eliminating Deputy DPW Commissioner Position, $93,750 (+ benefits)
- Rice proposed adding Fire Study, +$175,000, source TBD.
- Bramson proposed raising Marina Fees, +$237,000*
*$237,000 to be apportioned as follows, $100,000 to Marina Fund and $137,000 to general fund.
Council Member Trangucci proposed 8 changes to the budget, the most by far. Council Member Tarantino proposed no change to the budget. The proposed changes and any late additions will be discussed tonight.
Bryon Gray, President of New Rochelle Uniformed Fire Fighters Association has issued a statement in advance of the vote:
“Fiscal integrity for our city is critical, but the dollar savings of cuts to our fire department would amount to just a single penny per day, per resident,” explained Fire Fighter Gray. “If even one New Rochelle business is wiped out by a fire or one person dies because the city didn’t have enough manpower on duty to respond quickly enough to an emergency, the city would have rolled the dice and lost in order to save $300,000.”
Also on the agenda, the New Rochelle City Council will honor New Rochelle High Students from the AA Class Champion football team, the Cheerleading squad which won the Westchester County Grand Tournament and the Cruz sisters who won the New York State Tennis Doubles Championship. The consent agenda includes renewing the lease agreement with T&G Electronics for space at the New Rochelle marina and a lease agreement with Westchester County for parkings spaces at the New Roc City garage.