I have a lot to share about the municipal budget, having served as an elected official through 5 city budgets and 6 school board budgets in the last 15 years. This is the first of three blogs concerning the Plainfield 2010 budget and will serve as an introduction to the process.
The budget process starts with with the Mayor and administration drafting and introducing a budget to the Council. At the time of introduction, this budget is sent to the NJ Department of Community Affairs. From that moment, the budget is in the hands of the Council. Its final form and adoption is the responsibility of the Council.
It is mid October and the City Council has yet to see a budget or even get an estimated property tax increase. The final adoption typically takes place in October, November or December. In a particularly difficult year, it might take until January. By the way, the budget year starts in July - the previous July, not the following one. To be fair to local government, the state rules make it impossible to strike a budget before the year begins and almost impossible with the first three months of the year! Still, it is worrisome that the Council hasn't seen or heard anything about the administrations budget.
Once we get the budget, the City Council will hold budget hearings to review each departments requests in depth. In my five years on Council, these hearings have led to the Council making various adjustments, mostly to cut expenditures. Examples include reductions in police and fire overtime pay and many cuts to to non-personnel budget lines that were underspent in the previous year. There were a few areas where Council increased expenditure such as staffing for road repair crews.
One aspect of the budget that often gets overlooked is the capital budget for expenditures having an expected life of at least 5 years. I did get a look at the 2010 proposed capital budget Thursday night at the Planning Board meeting (Planning Board reviews this first and sends its recommendations to the Council). The administration is proposing bare bones capital expenditures, probably a good idea in the current economic climate. Most expenditures are for grant funded projects, with the exception of engineering for next years road paving program which would be bond funded.
The second part of my budget blog will be more exciting - I promise. Something unusual happened at the last Council meeting that went under most people's radar. I will need a little more time to post on that.
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12 comments:
Plainfield can save significant funds each year if they start to have their 500 + employees pay a portion of the cost of their health benefits. They pay zero now and whole families are eligible for the coverage. When is the last time you met someone whose company health care plan didn't have them contributing something to the their benefits package?
Very good point but unions in New Jersey generally will not agree to this unless there is a real threat of layoffs. That is because the state legislature gives government worker unions the upper hand under the binding arbitration statute.
You point out what is basically wrong in NJ. Politicians have sold the states soul to the unions including the teachers. That is why Corzine and incumbents are getting union endorsements.
Cory, I do not believe that the legislature gives the upper hand, I am more inclined to believe that the argument made against the government unions are weak, sloppy, and have little merit. If what I am seeing in Plainfield regarding our corporation council, who I believe is supposed to know the law, is any example of who represents us at these arbitrations, I am not suprised that unions win.
Our corporation council, who is supposed to know the laws, obviously does not. Examples? Have the Monarch documents been produced? Why did he not know that there had to be an advise and consent of funds by the council?
It's no wonder we lose. Not because the judges are biased, but because council does not do the job.
I find it very curious that the budget will not be presented until after the election.
I smell a 15% increase in the budget which will presented November 4th. My only hope is that Pivnichny will have to deal with it. At least I think there will be some fiscal responsibility.
Why doesn't the administration do a better job of policing themselves before presenting the budget. Shouldn't the administration be doing the cuts and lay off suggestions before the budget is presented to the council?
I agree with olddoc that the balance of power has swung too far towards the public workers unions. But lets face it - the unions job is to advocate for the workers. They are doing their job very well. I do not blame them for that. It's up to the legislature to do their job - advocate for the people and rebalance the wage and benefits situation. As for Governor Corzine, I support him because I think he wants to do the right thing for the people. When will the legislature get up the courage to make the necessary changes.
Councilman, you are wrong about binding arbitration in public employee contract negotiations: it only applies to police and firefighters. For other government worker unions binding arbitration is the final step in the grievance procedure--that is for contract enforcement, not negotiations. After all your years on the school board and the council you should know that.
I hope you will publish this correction so that citizens will not continue to be misled.
I will check my facts about binding arbitration and, if wrong, will make the correction. Even if I am wrong, it is the case that police and fire union contracts set the tone and expectations for the other municipal worker union contract talks.
Coucilman, I am glad you have posted on this. I think it would be nice if someone called out the Assistant Mayor and her Boss for holding that budget off until after the election. If the City Council don't see that as "THE PLAN" like the rest of us do, there is a major disconnect.
Cory, you didnt mention the Citizen Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC), of which I am a member. After the budget is introduced, the CBAC is also given a copy and an orientation. The CBAC holds a separate briefing to the public to introduce their recommendations. The CBAC plays a key function as collaborators between all three stakeholders (Citizens, City Council and the Administration). CBAC will primarily represent the Citizens. This will be accomplished through blogs, Facebooks, attending Block Association meetings and community activities to get the word out and solicit feedback.
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