Fuss and Falderas- Emergency City Council Meeting Tonight! More Political Budget Theater

At the last City Council meeting Mike Russo introduced his surprise on the fly temporary appropriations plan bringing down the state recommended amount from 26.25% to 11%. It was an attempt as the grand standing Mike Russo put it "to hold the feet to the fire" of the Administration to only give them what they need for about 6 weeks. The problem with Mike's plan is that he gave the Administration no notice and in some cases the 11% doesn't work across the board. Some payments under certain budget lines are more up front in the beginning of the year. Anyone with common sense and who has any public or private sector business experience can figure out. It is pretty clear to anyone rational that the BA Arch Liston and the Finance Director Nick Tresente would need more time to work with Mike Russo's proposal than during 15 minutes at a City Council meeting. Another example of fiscal recklessness from Mike Russo and Beth Mason to make a political jab at the current Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

I personally get the concept of trying to hold the Administration accountable but the motive here from Mike Russo, Beth Mason and the other three in the "new majority", obstruct the administration at any cost. This proposal by Mike Russo should have been done offline. The only reason it was done at City Council was for show. The last City Council meeting was a circus and as a result we have another emergency City Council meeting tonight at 8PM. 


Beth Mason (left) and Mike Russo (right) heading up the Hoboken 2011 budget circus. Photoshop from a reader which was  also sent to MSV blog as well. MSV called shotgun so I let him post it first.



Some on the council minority agreed with the concept of limiting the appropriations like Ravi Bhalla but had issues with the way it was done during the meeting. Carol Marsh reminded that the City Council only has one temporary appropriation and the rest after that are emergency ones. Her rational plea for fiscal sanity was unheard by the divisive and inept "new majority" on the City Council. The council minority all voted in favor of the appropriations in the end in support of the normal state recommended 26.25%. Until such appropriations are made the question of the evening is: will the City be able to pay its bills? Some say that the city has one month before they have to get temporary approvals. In fact Nick Tresente remarked that in the meeting last time.

The Zimmer Administration countered on Friday with this letter from City Auditor Steven Wielkotz to Business Administrator Arch Liston explaining the City’s ability to pay bills and payroll which is available at this link below:
http://hobokennj.org/docs/businessadmin/Temporary-Budget-City%20Auditor-1-7-11.pdf

Letter from City Auditor Steven Wielkotz to Business Administrator Arch Liston explaining
the City’s ability to pay bills and payroll.

The attack blog of Hoboken 411 insists that this is bad legal advice. Given the fact that most of Perry Klaussen's pieces are likely ghost written by Lane Bajardi I will take that assertion with a grain of salt. Lane Bajardi has a history of passing himself off as an expert in many subjects in which he has no clue whatsoever but by his own admission he is not very good at math. We will see how this plays out tonight.

Letter Authorizing Meeting tonight at 8PM (was originally 7 PM)

Here is the City Council feed for the meeting. I will not likely be doing the live blog as I intend at this point to go to the meeting. Most normal City Council meetings I intend to live blog this year.

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Fuss and Falderas- Emergency City Council Meeting Tonight! More Political Budget Theater