Council Passes Temporary Budget For First Quarter 2012
A full 2012 budget is expected to be introduced within three months.
The Hoboken City Council passed a temporary budget on Wednesday night to get the city through the first three months of the year, but not after a lenghty—and at times heated—discussion about the city's finances.
Finance Director Nick Trasente had prepared a budget, made up of 26.25 percent of last year's total $100 million budget, as is mandated by state statute.
Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo, who ended up voting in favor of the measure warned the administration that he wouldn't vote on any more emergency appropriations in the near future, expecting that this temporary budget would fully fund the city's expenses.
"I’m not giving you another million dollars if something else comes up," Russo said. "This is a fair warning."
The budget passed in a 6-1 vote, with Councilwoman Beth Mason voting "no." Council members Ravi Bhalla and Theresa Castellano were absent.
Trasente said that this budget doesn't include all the money needed to pay the firemen as well as unexpected costs, such as an unforeseen snowstorm. Overtime in the police department for the St. Patrick's Day parade is also not included in this budget.
The temporary budget does fund the city's meals on wheels program, the Hoboken University Ambulance Corps and the city's regular expenses, such as salary and wages.
"I cannot predict the future," Corporation Counsel Mark Tabakin said, warning the council that more budget votes could occur in the case of an emergency.
A complete budget for the 2012 year is being completed by the Finance Director and the Business Administrator and will be introduced next month, Councilman Peter Cunningham said.
It's still unclear when a complete budget will be adopted. The city may have to wait until the state releases its state aide numbers. Trasente said it is "rumored" that aide may go up in 2012. If the budget is approved before that number is released, Hoboken would miss out.
KenOn10
11:25 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
After selling the hospital, why does the city have to pay for the HUMC Ambulance Corp?
prosbus
11:33 am on Thursday, January 5, 2012
How could someone propose a 3 month budget for the City of Hoboken during the winter months of January, February, and March and NOT include money for snow removal, overtime for a fire department that racked up $1,000,000 in overtime in 2011 and overtime for police and related services for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade? I understand no one can predict the future but there are reasonable assumptions that can be made based on predictive models of past fiscal expenditures.
I am encouraged that Councilman Russo has essentially stated that potential shortfalls in the budgetary planning process by Finance Director Nick Trasente will not constitute an emergency for "unexpected expenditures" on Mr. Russo's part later this winter or in the spring- especially if those unexpected expenditures center on weather, fire department overtime or the St. Patrick's Day festivities.
FAP
12:07 pm on Thursday, January 5, 2012
Probus you know the reason why so stop pretending. State laws designed a temporary municipal budget to allow municipalities to fund limited operations that occur under normal and expected conditions, not for abnormal conditions.
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When unusual an unpredictable event occur, such as a major snow storm, or a expected special event with defined costs, such as St Pat's, the law expects that the City Council to act like adults and pass a specific separate expenditure to fund the identified services.
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Personally I encourage former finance chair Mike Russo to stop playing games and start putting Hoboken residents before his own political ambitions.