NORTH TONAWANDA: Mayor says council’s savings don’t cut it

By Neale Gulley<br><a href="mailto:gulleyn@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail Neale</a>

Cuts made Tuesday to North Tonawanda’s 2009 capital budget mean less spending, but won’t lift the burden to taxpayers in ’09.

Mayor Larry Soos said if the common council wants to save money they should look elsewhere.

The council made two last minute cuts following an ill-attended public budget hearing Tuesday at 5 p.m., in City Hall.

It was at the tail end of the body’s last formal meeting prior to adopting the spending plan when the changes were made.

One, the nixing of $22,000 to replace the fire chief’s car, and another to cut in half money to replace various equipment for the Department of Public Works amounted to $772,000.

What began as $1,725,000 had already been reduced to 1,500,000 by Soos and after last night’s council scrutiny, is $750,000.

Soos has registered his disapproval of the council’s decision, saying he will veto the move.

Assistant Jeffrey Mis, however, pointed to 19 Department of Public Works vehicles slated to be replaced on a tri-annual basis, and a lack of equipment requests by the department going back at least two years as proof the latest requests are part of the department’s scheduled upkeep.

That list includes replacing everything from dump trucks purchased in 1989 (estimated cost to replace $90,000) to the most expensive request, $300,000 to replace a “combination sewer cleaner.”

Now, DPW Superintendent Gary Franklin is being asked to sharpen his pencil.

“What we’re asking him is ... what can you live with and what can’t you live with — somewhere between the $1 million and (the current) $750,000,” Mis said.

He provided lists of the department’s capital requests for the past two years, citing no equipment items at that time.

As for the tri-annual arrangement, in which Franklin asks for the upgrades all at once, in return for no requests the next two years, that goes back to former Mayor David Burgio’s tenure, Mis said.

So it’s likely the same requests will resurface over the next several years, if the figure — the largest single capital request this year — is slashed.

Common Council President Brett Sommer believes the request represents more wants than needs. Despite the fact that municipal bonds increase spending a year after they are taken out, Sommer said spending is spending.

“The mayor is certainly welcome to veto it and see if he can talk two members of the council into spending three-quarters of a million dollars,” Sommer said. “Just because it doesn’t impact this year’s tax issue doesn’t mean it isn’t going to cost us.”

Throughout the budget process, the council has, however, added at least $350,000 to the mayor’s amendments. $150,000 was added for sidewalk repairs and a $300,000 request from Water/Wastewater Superintendent Paul Drof to replace a screen used to filter debris from raw water was cut by Soos and bought by the council for $200,000. Drof explained the screen is designed to protect expensive pumps that were only recently replaced.

Contact reporter Neale Gulley at 693-1000, ext. 114.