AUBURN - The Auburn City Council traded money for building improvement to save a position on the chopping block, but it's not the one that has received the most attention since the start of budget season.
On Thursday night, councilors passed a budget that reinstated a clerical position for the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program but still cut the Human Rights Commission director, a controversial recommendation.
Before accepting the 2007-2008 budget, councilor David Dempsey requested the part-time RSVP clerk and part-time human rights director remain.
Only Dempsey voted against the overall budget City Manager Mark Palesh created with a nearly $31.1 million general fund.
Taxes remain at last year's rate, $12.81 per $1,000 of assessed value. For example, a homeowner whose home is assessed for $100,000 would pay $1,281.
“We haven't increased taxes, as with the 3 percent cost of living, we're doing more with less,” Palesh said.
Palesh first brought a plan to council in late April. He met with councilors individually and listened to public comment to then draft a list of amendments. The biggest change was his removal of a measure that would have lowered taxes 11 percent and imposed a flat fee for trash collection among residents and businesses.
The newly passed budget contains $71,000 more in the general fund than Palesh originally proposed in April. The water and sewer fund has decreased by $2,445, despite increased user rates for both utilities
City residents will pay 38 cents more per 100 cubic feet for water and 83 cents more per 100 cubic feet for sewer. The rate increase is part of a five-year plan to make those funds self-sufficient, Palesh said.
In response to Dempsey's request to keep the two positions, Palesh asked him to find the nearly $27,000 total to keep the budget balanced, a legal requirement.
Council withdrew the $10,900 intended for building improvements to put towards the worker's $11,000 salary. Votes from councilors Dempsey, Thomas McNabb and Mayor Timothy Lattimore reinstated the RSVP clerk. Councilors Matt Smith and William Graney voted to eliminate the job as planned.
However, only McNabb supported Dempsey's proposal to keep human rights director Karen Sheftic-Burns on the payroll.
She will be laid off in October, when city officials likely will hire a human resource director.
The meeting started with a public comment portion, in which five speakers, and one letter writer, spoke in favor of keeping a human rights director, and three women encouraged the reinstatement of the RSVP clerk.
A few commission members spoke on the importance of the office, including Fred Richardson, Anthony DeCaro, and the Rev. Stephen Mack. They repeated the same message -- the $28,000 for the part-time director and operating costs are worth the community services.
The office receives about 300 complaints annually. These can take a few minutes, days or weeks to investigate, Sheftic-Burns has said.
“You could say we don't have (many) fires in Auburn,” Mack said to council. “Should we cut the Auburn Fire Department?”
Lattimore said most calls go through a Syracuse office, so people will still have a place to turn to.
In other news:
- The Auburn downtown beautification project will have another element -- parking kiosks. The council agreed to purchase 11 kiosks for nearly $83,850 for along Genesee Street and long-term parking in the Genesee Street parking lot between the YMCA on William Street and city hall on South Street.
The measure first failed to gain support, with only Graney backing it. Later in the meeting, Palesh brought the issue up again.
Graney, Dempsey and Smith agreed to award Syracuse-based Ber-National the contract for the kiosk. McNabb and Lattimore dissented.
- Non-profit organizations will have to come up with $18 monthly to pay the city for garbage collection, if they are already using the service.
Nancy Murphy, coordinator of the Community Caring Center, pleaded with council to reconsider this extra $216 annual expense.
She questioned if First Love Ministries, which supports the center, could squeeze out the extra money from its limited coffers.
Government-owned buildings will pay a higher rate based on square footage.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
Before accepting the 2007-2008 budget, councilor David Dempsey requested the part-time RSVP clerk and part-time human rights director remain.
Only Dempsey voted against the overall budget City Manager Mark Palesh created with a nearly $31.1 million general fund.
Taxes remain at last year's rate, $12.81 per $1,000 of assessed value. For example, a homeowner whose home is assessed for $100,000 would pay $1,281.
“We haven't increased taxes, as with the 3 percent cost of living, we're doing more with less,” Palesh said.
Palesh first brought a plan to council in late April. He met with councilors individually and listened to public comment to then draft a list of amendments. The biggest change was his removal of a measure that would have lowered taxes 11 percent and imposed a flat fee for trash collection among residents and businesses.
The newly passed budget contains $71,000 more in the general fund than Palesh originally proposed in April. The water and sewer fund has decreased by $2,445, despite increased user rates for both utilities
City residents will pay 38 cents more per 100 cubic feet for water and 83 cents more per 100 cubic feet for sewer. The rate increase is part of a five-year plan to make those funds self-sufficient, Palesh said.
In response to Dempsey's request to keep the two positions, Palesh asked him to find the nearly $27,000 total to keep the budget balanced, a legal requirement.
Council withdrew the $10,900 intended for building improvements to put towards the worker's $11,000 salary. Votes from councilors Dempsey, Thomas McNabb and Mayor Timothy Lattimore reinstated the RSVP clerk. Councilors Matt Smith and William Graney voted to eliminate the job as planned.
However, only McNabb supported Dempsey's proposal to keep human rights director Karen Sheftic-Burns on the payroll.
She will be laid off in October, when city officials likely will hire a human resource director.
The meeting started with a public comment portion, in which five speakers, and one letter writer, spoke in favor of keeping a human rights director, and three women encouraged the reinstatement of the RSVP clerk.
A few commission members spoke on the importance of the office, including Fred Richardson, Anthony DeCaro, and the Rev. Stephen Mack. They repeated the same message -- the $28,000 for the part-time director and operating costs are worth the community services.
The office receives about 300 complaints annually. These can take a few minutes, days or weeks to investigate, Sheftic-Burns has said.
“You could say we don't have (many) fires in Auburn,” Mack said to council. “Should we cut the Auburn Fire Department?”
Lattimore said most calls go through a Syracuse office, so people will still have a place to turn to.
In other news:
- The Auburn downtown beautification project will have another element -- parking kiosks. The council agreed to purchase 11 kiosks for nearly $83,850 for along Genesee Street and long-term parking in the Genesee Street parking lot between the YMCA on William Street and city hall on South Street.
The measure first failed to gain support, with only Graney backing it. Later in the meeting, Palesh brought the issue up again.
Graney, Dempsey and Smith agreed to award Syracuse-based Ber-National the contract for the kiosk. McNabb and Lattimore dissented.
- Non-profit organizations will have to come up with $18 monthly to pay the city for garbage collection, if they are already using the service.
Nancy Murphy, coordinator of the Community Caring Center, pleaded with council to reconsider this extra $216 annual expense.
She questioned if First Love Ministries, which supports the center, could squeeze out the extra money from its limited coffers.
Government-owned buildings will pay a higher rate based on square footage.
Staff writer Jessica Soule can be reached at 253-5311, ext 267 or jessica.soule@lee.net
The Citizens' Say
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