WPCNR QUILL AND EYESHADE. By John F. Bailey. April 28. 2005: The city did not discuss or go over budget strategies for 2005-2006 with its own Budget and Advisory Committee in preparing the preliminary budget.

At the first meeting of the Budget & Management Committee in nine months, Wednesday evening, according to Committee Member, Joe Lenchner, and Patrick Austin, who were going through the budget with Budget Director Anne Reasoner for the first time, (after it has been printed), it became clear that the city administration did not prepare the preliminary budget for 2005-06 with any input, analysis or concurrence  from members of the Budget & Management Committee, most notably Mr. Austin and Mr. Lenchner, or its councilmembers, Benjamin Boykin, Robert Greer and Larry Delgado. Tim Sheehan, a comittee member,  and Ted Peluso, a budget consultant for the city also attended.

With the printed 2005-2006 Budget before them, the Budget and Management Committee was given the opportunity to scrutinize the 2005-06 budget. It was the first time committee members as a group had been consulted on the budget according to members. Mr. Peluso said there had been some meetings last summer. But it was unclear if any budget strategies for 2005-2006 were discussed then.  Benjamin Boykin chaired the committee in place of Robert Greer, who was undergoing medical treatment according to Mr. Boykin. Photo by WPCNR News

Whether councilmembers on the Budget Committee, who include Robert Greer, Larry Delgado, and Benjamin Boykin were advised of how the city would structure the budget, or Ted Peluso, another member of the committee  gave tacit approval to the selling of land, the paying cash for rolling stock, increases in allocations for insurance and debt is not clear either. The discovery that the Budget Committee has been idle for nine months brings new meaning to Paul Wood's (City Executive Officer) comment to reporter Jim Benerofe recently that the budget was prepared "internally." 

Pat Austin asked questions for two and a half hours about various increases in the budget, calling for justification for increases in the self-insurance fund, rolling stock for the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Public Works. Austin asked for certiorari projections, asking Ms. Reasoner how she provided for them. Austin's biggest point was his noting that salaries were going up 6 to 7% a year, when step increases and benefits are included, saying the city has to make longterm projects of how to deal with those costs, or find itself in the same position as the City School District which will inflate automatically 6% a year without any negotiated salary increases. Photo by WPCNR News.

Benjamin Boykin and Ms. Reasoner thanked the committee for all their input and questions, and scheduled a question and answer session on the issues Mr. Lenchner and Mr. Austin raised,  for next Wednesday, May 5. Boykin said the council scrutinizes these matters and works hard to consider important budget considerations. On Monday May 2, the Council holds its public hearing on the budget at the monthly Common Council meeting. The Budget and Management Committee agreed it would try and pull together its report out on the budget by May 10 Ms. Reasoner said the budget was a lot of work, "I'm thankful that you people read it."

Asked about the latest sales tax tally, Ms. Reasoner said she did not remember what the number was, and had not totaled up the state conciliation report of additions and substractions from the previous year. Asked if she expected a fourth quarter of 15 Million...she said less than $15 Million. Last year, White Plains received approximately $10 Million in Sales Tax in the April, May, June quarter meeting the city $38 Million projected sales on the nose.