Be Concerned about Next Years Budget This Year

A 7 1/2% tax increase in this years municipal budget is something to be concerned about. Taking a multi year budgeting approach, we should make every attempt to average 3 3/4% tax increase for this year and next.

In other words, we need to aim for a 0% increase in the fiscal year 2011 (FY 2011)budget. Sounds unrealistic? Perhaps not. Here is what needs to happen:

1. Start working on the budget March 1 the latest. This part has to be done by the Mayor, City Administrator Bibi Taylor and their staff. Aim for a July or August budget introduction to Council.

2. Hold a retreat to get consensus between the Mayor, Council and senior management on FY 2011 priorities. This needs to happen in March or April. We can argue about details later but let's start with general agreement about what we want our tax increase to be and what is most important to spend our municipal revenues on.

3. The Council has consensus on a FY 2010 budget that has $1 million in budget cuts and sets the stage for savings in FY 2011 that could be full year savings. That will only happen if the Council sticks to its guns at the Tuesday 8 pm budget hearing.

4. The Council will have to direct the administration to reorganize some departments and offices in city hall to make them more efficient and cost effective. This will need to be done by resolution. The sooner this direction is given, the sooner the Mayor and administration can come back with recommendations. This part of the process would have to begin in the next month or two.

5. One thing working in our favor was pointed out by the city administrator recently. Last years pension deferral will be completely paid in the FY 2010 budget and the pension expense for FY 2011 should decrease significantly.

6. A wild card is state aid to Plainfield. We could very well see a decrease in this revenue source in FY 2011. All the more reason to work hard to hold future expenses in check and create the conditions for increasing tax ratables. One strategy would be to keep Plainfield's property taxes lower than surrounding towns. This would make Plainfield more attractive to home buyers, developers and new businesses.

We need a short term and long term budget strategy. The short term approach is up for a vote Tuesday at 8 pm. Please come out and support the Council. Naysayers will be present.

In the long term, there is cause for concern but each of the suggestions above are do-able. Previous city administrator Marc Dashield gave the Council a 5 year budget projection last year that showed a 50% increase in municipal property taxes over the 5 years. We don't have to go there but we will have some very difficult decisions to make. Employees will certainly be affected. Plainfield tends to protect their needs better than the needs of residents in general. Local elected officials have the challenging job of balancing the needs of all constituents.

It's Time to Approve the Budget

We should have done this earlier in the year but here we are in February, preparing to vote on budget amendments, the next step in the municipal budgeting process. Unfortunately it has been a typical year - we are trying to reduce a high tax increase by cutting expenses. Revenues increases continue to be flat or down so we have no other method to attack the proposed tax increase.

So where are we?

1. the administration introduced a budget with a 9.6% tax increase.
2. the Council Finance Committee (I am a member) proposed $1.1 million in cuts.
3. the Council, as a whole, agreed with most of the changes proposed by the Finance Committee, leading to Monday's Council meeting: the consensus changes will be on the agenda in the form of budget amendments. The Council must vote to approve these amendments so we can advertise the budget to the public, hold a public hearing and (finally) approve the budget for the July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010 fiscal year.

I hope the final steps in the process are not typical of some previous years decisions. Painful budget cuts have sometimes been beaten back by special interest groups. That would be a big mistake this time around. The Council budget truly spreads the pain to all concerned. Each group agrees that property tax increases are hurting our residents but fights to prevent the cut that affects them.

Expect some groups to be present as the Council works on the budget. Expect some to advocate in the spirit of constructive debate. Expect some to threaten the Council and to spread misleading rumors in the community (example - eliminating positions in the top heavy police division is a personal vendetta against a few captains).

I urge residents to attend our Council meeting Monday night. One of the interest groups that is always underrepresented is homeowners. When elected officials hear primarily from employee unions, budgeting for compensation, health benefits and pensions can and have become a burden that threatens the future of our state and city.

If the Council resists special interest group pressure the 9.6% tax increase reduces to around 7.5%. That is still too high but some of the budget cuts set the stage for more significant cuts next year when we can get 12 months of savings instead of only a few. If the Council bows to pressure, the tax increase goes back towards 9.6% and will mean a higher increase next year. That would be disastrous to residents struggling to make mortgage and rent payments. Come out and advocate for a balanced approach to Plainfields budget. That is what the City Council will be voting on Monday.

Plainfield Leadership at a Crossroad

We have been here before. Rumors swirling, fingers pointing, people choosing sides, leaders hesitating. I am talking about proposed city budget cuts that could shake Plainfield residents and city workers out of the status quo.

Are we going to take an objective yet compassionnate look at our budget choices? Council president Annie McWilliams' latest blog is a good example of that approach. Or are we going to shoot first and aim later? That seems to be the recent response from our police union with their vote of no confidence in Martin Helwig.

Martin Helwig, Plainfield's Public Safety Director, has my full support. He has to be responsive to the residents of Plainfield and their safety concerns. He has to balance that with the needs of our excellent police force. That means he cannot possibly meet every demand of the public or the police union.

As we enter into union contract negotiations, his voice is crucial in approving the current year budget and positioning ourselves for next years financial challenges. I believe he is doing a good job of balancing the needs of residents and police employees.

Our police union has had very beneficial contracts over the years. They have negotiated with the city in a hard nosed manner. Kudos to their leaders. Our property tax burden has not been their concern. That is why we have a Mayor, Council, City Administrator and Public Safety Director.

Local governments all over New Jersey are asking employees to share the pain of our economy in recession. People living in cities are experiencing more pain than the suburbs and exurbs. If we can't find common ground with our unions, Mayors and Councils have little choice under state law and regulation but to propose layoffs. This can be a less painful process if local officials and unions work together.

It is most unfortunate that the police union voted no confidence in Helwig. Of course it is their right to do so. But a rationale and measured approach is needed from all parties in Plainfield government. Why not request a meeting with the Mayor, Helwig and the City Administrator? Why go public and "in your face"?

Followers of our municipal government know we have been here before and the results have been unsatisfactory. Lose - lose as some would say. Demoralized police, overburdened taxpayers, unempowered government officials.

There is still the potential for a solution but cooler heads must prevail. Larry Leveritt, Plainfield Schools Superintendent in the 1990's, came to town and immediately joined hands with the unions, school board and other stakeholders. He led us into interest based contract negotiations. After years of contentious haggling over pay and teacher prep time, he helped all parties to see their mutual interest: satisfaction at seeing students learn and grow. Negotiations revolved around that and the solutions for compensation and conditions of employment fell into place. Of course with different school leadership, the cooperation can slip away.

Why can't we do the same with our police unions. It will be a long, steep climb but good leadership on all sides can get us there. Unfortunately, in Plainfield the tradition is to divide and conquer. It is so ingrained that I honestly think some of our leaders who do this are not aware of it. All the more reason to get behind leaders like Annie McWilliams and Martin Helwig. Let's hear from some more leaders who want to unite rather than divide.

Gay Marriage Legislation

State government is poised to enact legislation that would give the same rights to gay and lesbian citizens that other citizens now enjoy. Will it happen on time for Governor Corzine to sign it? We will know very soon. I hope this is not a last minute gesture not intended for approval.

Whatever the outcome, it seems like destiny to me that this will eventually come to pass. Young people are increasingly influential in electing our leaders and they are more and more accepting of gay rights than their elders.

Still it would be unfair to make people wait at least four more years for justice to be served and that is what Governor Christie's election could mean.

Speed Humps - more input

The speed humps on Kensington Ave have triggered much reaction. Everywhere I go in Plainfield, people are telling me that this is a good idea. One of the most interesting comments came from a Kensington Ave resident who was originally opposed to speed humps but who has come to appreciate their effectiveness in slowing down vehicles.

Recently I have heard from residents of Kenyon and Putnam Avenues who want these traffic calming devices installed on their blocks. To these residents and anyone interested in this subject I have a few thoughts to share:

1. Speed humps have an important place in Plainfield's overall traffic management strategy but they must be used selectively.

2. With our budget problems, we must be extremely careful about where we spend our tax dollars. Installing speed humps selectively and at the time of repaving is a cost effective way to go.

3. There are other traffic calming methods that are cost effective and must be considered. An example is stop signs. One or two well placed stop signs on Putnam could be even more effective than speed humps. This would create intersections with four way stop signs. Another approach would be flashing yellow or red traffic signals at the dangerous Putnam intersections.

4. When we do use speed humps, they should be used judiciously. Some have commented on the number of street signs that accompany the Kensington speed humps and that they do not have an attractive appearance. Perhaps we could have installed one or two fewer humps or used less signage. I trust we will use our experience on Kensington to inform our future actions.

A photo from Councilman Burney's blog

5. Not everyone favors speed humps. One of my best friends called me last month to ask me who was the idiot whose idea this was. I did take responsibility! Residents who want them installed will face opposition from police and fire officials and from skeptical neighbors. I strongly recommend to any advocate that a neighborhood petition be circulated to demonstrate support. This was done to good effect regarding other road problems by the residents of Thornton Ave and Cedarbrook Lane. In each case they got what they needed.

The bottom line is we have taken a good step forward in pedestrian safety. Again I thank Mayor Robinson-Briggs and Councilman Burney for leadership on this. I urge the 2010 Council committee dealing with roads to take this up for policy development.

2010 - Predictions for Change

Having heard a presentation from the Plainfield Cable TV Advisory Commission last fall, I was impressed by a vision, clearly defined goals and attention to policy details. The vision is to use the cable TV channel to showcase Plainfield. That would be a good antidote to the mainstream news coverage of Plainfield which likes to focus on crime. Our cable TV station has been an wasted opportunity crying out for fulfillment. I am hearing plans to teach Plainfield students about TV production and teach viewers around the greater viewing area about Plainfield's many assets. Maybe it is time for our TV station to become an asset to the city.

In contrast, the PMUA did not share a vision for the future when they came before the Council in 2009. They seem to be satisfied with their current performance. I have been satisfied with my service but as the costs go up, it is not good enough to say that because waste costs are escalating everywhere, that it is acceptable. I am waiting for the PMUA leadership to step up to the plate and repair its public image so surrounding towns will become purchasers of services. Business expansion and a composting program are my vision for PMUA. Composting and other strategies to reduce waste at the source are going to become more important than recycling as we know it.

Leadership will make the difference between a commission that anticipates the future and achieves its goals and one that does not. I am hoping that the Council will be presented with commission nominations that have vision and are serious about improving services to our residents and not merely politically connected people who will maintain the status quo. The Cable TV and PMUA commissions need people who understand the opportunities that exist to connect Plainfield with the rest of the world in useful and cost effective ways. I would like to be as hopeful about the PMUA as I am about the TV station. That is another holiday wish.

A Holiday Wish or Two for Plainfield

If I could have it my way for Plainfield government, here is what would be wrapped and waiting for me under the Christmas tree:

1. A sincere promise from city administrators to give straight answers to questions from the Council and the public.

2. A Council that is willing to take the necessary disciplinary actions against administrators who engage in dishonest and unethical behavior such as the deceitful responses to questions about the city's new baseball/softball program.

3. A pledge from the Clerks office to immediately convert the Council packets from paper to email and put all agendas and minutes on the city website for all to see.

4. A commitment from the Council President and Mayor to hold a January retreat that would result in shared goals for 2010.

5. A new PMUA Commission that would set the PMUA on a more business oriented path. The new commissioners would have to be more than mere replacements. They would have to be strong and firm in insisting on changes in the performance of the PMUA staff leadership. Well intentioned "nice guys" need not apply. There will be resistance and the Commission will have to be on its game.

6. A real economic development plan to create jobs for our residents that treats the Special Improvement District and Chamber of Commerce as real partners with the city.

I have more wishes but they are for another day.