Council Overrides Amicone Veto and Passes Their Budget

The Yonkers City Council held a special meeting today and voted to override Mayor Phil Amicone’s veto of the city budget, which was amended by the council to include $7 million in cuts, and a reduction in the tax increase from 6.6 percent to 5.75 percent. The council cuts also eliminated the need to increase the unpopular income tax surcharge.

The council passed their version of the budget last week, with the mayor vetoing the budget this week, saying that he cannot sign a budget with the $2 million in cuts to police overtime.

Council Overrides Amicone Budget, 5-2

The Yonkers City Council held a special meeting last Friday to override Mayor Phil Amicone’s veto of the budget passed by the council, who cut an additional $7 million to reduce the property tax increase to 5.75 percent and eliminate the income tax surcharge increase.

The mayor had vetoed based on the $2 million in cuts to police overtime. But the veto was a dangerous move because five members of the council had already approved the budget, and the same five voted to override.

So while this turned out to be a symbolic move for the mayor, it also allowed the council to override his veto and highlight the fact that they had passed a budget without the mayor’s support.

Here’s the council veto override release:

 

 

 

CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO OVERRIDE MAYOR’S BUDGET

 

 

 

Council’s Budget Lowers Taxes & Saves Jobs

 

 

 

Yonkers, New York: June 26, 2009 – The Yonkers City Council this morning voted 5-2 in favor to override the mayor’s veto of the budget that was passed by the council last Saturday and subsequently vetoed by Mayor Phil Amicone on Wednesday, June 24. Council members Gronowski and Majority Leader Sandy Annabi voted against the measure.

Today’s vote to override the mayor’s veto was the right thing to do in these hard economic times. When we requested this mayor to come to the table and make meaningful cuts to his own budget he refused to do so. Instead, he left the difficult work to the council to write a budget and manufactured a crisis.

This city council recognizes that many Yonkers’ families are struggling today more than folks have endured in several generations. Job losses, foreclosures and mounting bills are part of the new reality in Yonkers as they are across the country. In such times, it falls upon all elected officials to strike the necessary balance, between providing and properly funding necessary government services, while not adding further burdens upon the backs of our taxpayers. In such times, the ability to act and demonstrate true leadership is more than warranted – it is expected.

Sadly, this mayor made the unfortunate decision to blame the city council for its recent decision to pass what many consider a prudent budget that aims to lessen property tax increases and make the necessary minimum cuts. The council also stood firm against the mayor’s proposed 50% increase in the city portion of the state income tax surcharge which would have taken several hundred dollars out of the paycheck of just about every person who lives or works in Yonkers.

 

 

 

With the mayor’s veto, at his well staged press conference on Wednesday morning, he proved that he would rather continue to employ fear tactics that suggest that the council’s cuts will cause crime to rise with fewer patrol officers available to protect the city. Such allegations are not only unreasonable and worrisome — they are outrageous and irresponsible. Our citizens know that this city council has always recognized the need to staff our police and fire departments at more than just the acceptable levels. We have continued to approve police and fire academy classes to join our city’s ranks. And just as our public safety departments deserve to be properly staffed, we have taken our responsibilities to our communities equally serious and have worked together to expeditiously approve

grants and ordinances that have bettered our neighborhoods. Our resident’s safety has always been our top priority.

This year, our police commissioner recommended that the council pass $10.8 million in police overtime. This council passed a budget allocating $9.8 million in overtime – only one million less than what the commissioner requested. For the mayor to politicize this issue is both dangerous and reckless. In short, it is the mayor that failed to do what his office mandates — not the city council.

With the mayor’s veto of our city’s budget for 2010 this week, the mayor chose to play politics rather than make the tough decisions and played the politician’s blame game.

Rather than come to the table and negotiate, he chose to craft a public relations campaign meant to scare our citizens. Such behavior is shameful and unfortunate forour city, our residents and our workforce.

 

 

Council Cuts $12.5 Million in Capital Budget for Daylighting of Saw Mill River at Larkin Plaza

  A rendering of the proposed daylighting at Larkin Plaza

In addition to amending and reducing the mayor’s budget, the City Council also made massive reductions to the mayor’s captial budget. Over his six years in office, Amicone has been increasing his captial budgets, mostly to upgrade the city’s infrastructure, including for the Yonkers Public Schools, that have been neglected over time during crisis budget years.

The City Council, led by Budget Chair Liam McLaughlin, has been questioning the large captial budgets of over $100 million year after year, with concerns about the city’s debt load. As a result, the mayor’s captial budgets have been cut over the year’s, with this year as no exception.

Amicone’s 09-10 captial budget was cut from $124 million to $51.6 million, with $25 million for school construction left intact. Included in the capital cuts were $12.5 million for the daylighting of the Saw Mill River at Larkin Plaza. Supporters of the daylighting at Larkin are concerned that this decision by the council could kill the project.

The city, with the help of Groundwork Yonkers, has a pending grant application  before NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for a $20 million to daylight the river at Larkin.

A decision on the grant will be announced next Tuesday, with Yonkers hopeful of obtaining some funding. But part of the grant requires the city to pay for part of the daylighting — which is why the city put a $12.5 million captial item in the mayor’s captial budget for it – now removed by the City Council. 

 Jim Pinto, director of Downtown Waterfront Development for the city, expressed concern that even if the city was awarded the NOAA grant, they would not be able to use it without some amount of matching city funds.

We received mixed thoughts when we asked two councilmembers about the future of the daylighting at Larkin. Council President Chuck Lesncik explained that if the city were to get the NOAA grant, the council could pass another capital budget with the Larkin daylighting $12.5 million in it.

McLaughlin was noncommittal at best, and returned to his theme of Amicone running up a too high debt tab for the residents. “The mayor’s captial budget has skyrocketed over sixyears. We never had captial budgets over $100 million per year in previous administrations,” said McLaughlin, who said he wanted to wait for the NOAA grant and review the city’s daylighting contribution more before taking a stance.

The daylighting at Larkin Plaza is the one project that can most quickly help boost the downtown/waterfront. Unlike the daylighting proposed at Getty Sqaure/Chicken Island, the Larkin daylighting involves NO purchase of land, and no diversion of the river is required.

Larkin daylighting will be construction ready in September.

Rubbo, Winnicki, Perez and Lesnick Get Independence Nominations

 

Ted Winnicki                      John Rubbo

Westchester County Independence Party Chairman Dr. Giulio Cavallo finally released his endorsements for Yonkers City Council. See his statement below, which criticizes  Mayor Phil Amicone while endorsing Ted Winnicki in the Sixth Council District, John Rubbo in the fourth, Virginia Perez in the second and Chuck Lesnick for council president.

While Cavallo’s statement says that Perez and Lesnick were previously given the endorsement, this fact was never released to the press or the public officially until today, with a few candidates not wanting to say anything until Cavallo  made the announcement. 

Obviously this news is good news for all four candidates:

Winnicki — This gives Winnicki a better chance in his race against Republican John Larkin to succeed Dee Barbato in the Sixth District. 

Perez — This gives Perez three party lines – Independence, Conservative and Working Families – going into the Democratic primary in the Second District against Wilson Tererro and Jose Roman. Perez’s partnership with Sandy Annabi, (who is running in the same southwest Yonkers neighborhood for County Board) we are told, was crucial to Perez getting one or more of these lines.

Rubbo — We have heard and posted about this for a week or so, but its still a good boost for Rubbo, who will face off against Dennis Shepard in the GOP primary to represent the Fourth District. Democrat Mario Degiorgio, who also has the Conservative and Working Families lines, is waiting to see if he will be running againts Rubbo, Shepard or both.

Lesnick — again, although expected, is a big win for the incumbent council president, and may eliminate any hopes of Republican Jim Castro-Blanco. Lesnick also has the Working Families Party line, with Castro-Blanco getting the Conservative line.

Analysis — There are two big losers in the Independence party charade: Tererro and Degiorgio:

Tererro — was viewed as a pro-Amicone candidate by Cavallo, who obviously has an axe to grind against the mayor, and any candidate that is even perceived to be close to him. Throw Dennis Shepard into this bunch.

Degiorgio — was given the Independence line only to have it taken away by Cavallo and Yonkers Indepdence Chair Dhyalma Vazquez. While the removal of the line from Degiorgio was said to be because he announced it before Cavallo did, we hear that the real truth was that some type of deal was cut by Cavallo and someone else to deny Degiorgio the Independence line and give it to Rubb0, who rejected the advice of the mayor not to run, and quit his job at City Hall to run.

Following is Cavallo’s statement:

Winnicki, Rubbo Complete Independence Party Picks for Yonkers Council Party Chief Stresses Need for ‘New Thinking’ After 14 Years of Amicone

           Dr. Giulio Cavallo, chairman of The Independence Party of Westchester, announced today the completion of its endorsements for city elections in Yonkers with its support of a Democrat, Ted Winnicki, for Council Member in District 6 and John Rubbo, a Republican, for Council Member in District 4.

            “In this tough fiscal climate, Yonkers desperately needs an infusion of new thinking after 14 years of Phil Amicone at the helm,” Cavallo said. “We think the mature judgment of Ted Winnicki and the fresh ideas of John Rubbo are the right blend of innovative and independent thinking that will result in good government for Yonkers.”

             “Ted Winnicki has proven he has the mettle to stand up in tough situations and his experience as a small business-owner should be invaluable in helping solve Yonkers’ recurring fiscal crises,” Cavallo said.  “John Rubbo had the courage to walk away from a safe City Hall job to pursue his interest in public service and that is exactly the kind of courageous independence our party admires and encourages.”

            Winnicki, 59, is a Yonkers small business-owner (AC Technologies, Inc.) and a decorated  Marine Corps Vietnam combat veteran.  He presently serves as President of the Yonkers Federation of Youth, Inc.  and is the Past President of the Bryn Mawr Boys and Girls Club, Winnicki holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from SUNY Purchase and is married with three children.  The Winnickis make their home on Mile Square Road.

 Rubbo, 27, is a lifelong Yonkers resident who currently works in the merchant processing industry and has a long history of community service including Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Columbus Day Parade Committee, President of the Holy Name Society and Chairman of the Parish Youth Group at Saint John the Baptist and co-founder of the TUSKS Society, a community service and advocacy organization for young adults.  He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Iona College in Communications and an Associate’s degree in Business Administration from Manhattan College.

 Today’s announcement completes the Independence Party slate for November’s Yonkers City Council election.  Previously, the party endorsed incumbent City Council President Chuck Lesnick (D) for re-election and Virginia Perez (D) for election to the Second District seat being vacated by Sandy Annabi due to term limits.

 “Tragically, Virginia Perez knows firsthand the consequences of failing to keep Yonkers’ streets and homes free of violence,” Cavallo said. “Together with Ted Winnicki and John Rubbo, she will help form an independent Council majority to give the City Council President the support he needs for the Council to become an effective check on the administration.”

Amicone Veto of Council Budget Possible — 930 a.m. Press Conference

I was incorrect when I posted that Mayor Phil Amicone is expected to sign the City Council’s budget proposal. The mayor and his staff are currently taking a hard look at the council’s budget, with a veto a real possibility.

The mayor’s major concern is the cut in $2+ million in police overtime. While police overtime (OT) has grown to $10 million per year in recent years and is a very easy target for the budget axe to fall on, the reality is that without a certain amount of overtime in the budget, whenever an officer takes his or her vacation, or calls in sick, the Yonkers Police Department (YPD)  has to bring in another officer at OT to take their place. Otherwise, that slot becomes vacant for the day or week, thus reducing the number of officers on the streets, which is the argument posed against cutting the overtime.

The mayor is said to be negotiating with the City Council tonight, suggesting that if the council restores the $2+ million in police overtime, he will go along with the other council cuts.

The mayor has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow morning at 930 a.m.

Degiorgio Clears Name – Let’s Move On

City Council candidate Mario Degiorgio has been posting responses on YonkersRising concerning allegations made by some of our fellow bloggers.  Degiorgio has addressed the allegations, and without any further proof of evidence to the contrary, we should move on and blog about the campaign.

Degiorgio currenlty is running on three party lines — Democrat, Conservative and Working Families. He is waiting to see who his opponent will be between Republicans John Rubbo and Dennis Shepard.

One additional issue that was raised by a poster concerned the fact that Degiorgio has both the Conservative and Working Families lines, and the fact that both parties basically stand for complete opposite ideals on issues like abortion and gay marriage.

Degiorgio addressed those concerns also.

Now that Degiorgio’s feet have been held to the fire, all candidates who take both the Conservative and Working Families party lines should be challenged. There’s a bunch of candidates in Westchester who have both party lines, lets call them to this task as well.

Yonkers Council Passes Budget, Amicone Vetoes, Council Expected to Override

The Yonkers City Council met last Saturday and approved a budget for the city’s fiscal year, which begins July 1. The council voted 5-2 on an $896 million spending plan, with councilwomen Sandy Annabi and Joan Gronowski voting no.

The council’s budget took Mayor Phil Amicone’s proposed budget and cut an additional $7.1 million to reduce the mayor’s proposed 6.6 percent property tax increase to 5.75 percent. The council cuts also eliminate the need to increase the unpopular income tax surcharge.

Significant details of the council’s budget statement include:

“Recognizing that our proposals will have a direct impact on city services, we, nevertheless, have concluded that the budget we have outlined strikes the appropriate balance between what our citizens need and should expect for city government and what they can afford in these difficult times.
     We have identified areas of spending that were of concern, including overtime spending in excess of budget appropriations, and the use of city vehicles and cell phones by city employees. But most of all, we have simply recognized what every household in Yonkers has learned in recent months. We simply have no choice but to make do with less.

     The adjustments we are proposing will permit the following:

• The authorization of 1,958 full-time municipal employees (seven less than the mayor’s proposal), approximately 100 full-time library employees and funding as requested by the Yonkers Public Schools;
•  Funding for all uniformed vacant positions in the Police and Fire departments permitting new classes of rookies to join the public safety workforce this summer;
• Maintaining twice a week garbage pick-up and all other services currently performed by our Public Works Department;
• Maintaining our Parks Department at full compliment; and
• Maintaining all existing services to veterans and seniors.

We accomplish this with a spending plan that is $896 million. This plan is $7.1 million less than the mayor’s amended proposal, reduces the proposed property tax increase to 5 and 3/4 percent property tax increase and eliminates the need for a 50 percent hike in the income tax altogether. We are able to accomplish this by decreasing the funding for the Yonkers Public Schools by $1 million. The mayor has indicated that the trustees will utilize an additional $1 million from surplus funds available to the schools.

We have also reduced city departmental spending by enacting a 2 percent cut in non-personnel appropriations in all departments saving $860,000. Police and fire department overtime appropriations have been reduced $ 2.2 million and $800,000 respectively as described in alternative plans submitted by the commissioners with their proposed budgets. Funding for non-uniformed vacancies has been removed for a savings of $650,000.

Other departmental reductions that have been implemented are as follows:

• Continued elimination of the ranger program – $500,000;
• Reduction of targeted appropriations in non-personnel accounts – $540,000; and
• Reduction of $100,000 in the city wide fuel account. It is anticipated that the administration will eliminate upwards of 50 vehicles currently utilized in non-public safety areas.     

 This budget also shifts funding for affordable housing subsidies, $1.2 million back to the grant budget under the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for year 36. It is anticipated that stimulus funds from the federal government will restore programs anticipated to be funded with year 36 CDBG funds.

The capital budget as proposed is $124 million. The council, upon deliberation and reflection on the amount of debt that the city has incurred during recent years, has decided to approve a capital budget of $47 million, providing funding as follows:

• Resurfacing and bridges                                                $2 million
• Library                                                                  $494,000
• Animal Shelter Reconstruction                   $2 million
• Ashburton Avenue Renewal                       $14.6 million
• Yonkers Public Schools                                  $ 28 million”

This statement was made by council members Liam McLaughlin, John Murtagh, Patricia McDow and Dee Barbato and Council President Chuck Lesnick. 

On Wednesday, Mayor Phil Amicone vetoed the budget, primarily because fo cuts to police overtime, which he said would negatively affect the safety of Yonkers residents. The City Council will now call a meeting, yet to be set, to vote to override the mayor’s budget. If the same five council members who voted for the budget vote to override, then the budget passed by teh council will become the city’s budget for the new fiscal year, starting July 1.

John Rubbo — Independence Line Falls Into His Lap?

 

John Rubbo-special delivery from Vazquez & Cavallo?

John Rubbo, the young late entry into the race for City Council in the Fourth District to replace Liam McLaughlin, appears to be getting a gift of the Independence line, assuring him of a place on the ballot in November.

Rubbo is trying to get signatures to get into a GOP Primary in the fourth against Dennis Shepard. Shepard has the endorsement of Mayor Phil Amicone, and Rubbo’s decision resulted in his departure from City Hall as a staffer to the mayor.

Although Rubbo is a viable candidate for council, the Independence line could be coming his way from no work of his own, but that of Ind Party Chair’s Dhyalma Vaquez and Dr. Giulio Cavallo odd ways of picking their nominees.

With the choice between Rubbo, Shepard, and Democrat Mario Degiorgio, Vazquez and Cavallo are likely to choose Rubbo because of their animosity towards Mayor Amicone, thus eliminating Shepard, and Nick Spano, who is said to be supporting Degorgio. Spano’s support of Degiorgio has not been confirmed, but do Vaquez & Cavallo care?

If Rubbo gets the Ind line, it could create a three-way race in November between Rubbo, Shepard and Degiorgio, and it’s anyone’s guess who wins.

The Insanity of Minor Parties Reaches Into Yonkers Council Races

 

  Mario Degiorgio Gets Conservative Line

I’ve been railing against the two major, minor parties’ involvement in this year’s elections for the past two months. On the county side, the Westchester Conservative Party’s endorsement of Andy Spano for County Executive has lit a firestorm over this issue, and while its glad to see people are taking a good look at the Conservative party, it’s shameful how County Conservative Chairwoman Gail Burns handed the line to Andy Spano, against the wishes of her rank and file Conservative — 95 percent of whom wanted Rob Astorino to get their line.

The minor parties have now reached Yonkers and the chaos has just begun. First the Conservatives in Yonkers nominated Jim Castro-Blanco to be their nominee for City Council President — no surprise there.

Democrat Mario Degiorgio, running in the Fourth Council District race, received the Conservative party endorsement, along with Republican John Larkin in the Sixth District, and Virginia Perez in the Second District.

The two surprises here were Degiorgio and Perez getting the Conservative line. Degiorgio is running against Republicans Dennis Shepard and John Rubbo, with Shepard and Degiorgio the two front runners. Shepard has the support of Mayor Phil Amicone, and the nomination of Degiorgio is a minor slight to him.

Similar for Virginia Perez, who continues to build momentum in her campaign to replace Sandy Annabi. Annabi has all but endorsed Perez to replace her on the council, and the two are running as a dangerous duo — with Perez running for the Second Council District and Annabi running for County Legislator against Jose Alvarado. Both races are to represent Southwest Yonkers so look for a knock on the door from Perez and Annabi soon.

The Independence Party is even more of a mess — see the next Rising Times post.

McLaughlin To Quit Council President Race

 

City Councilman and Minority Leader Liam McLaughlin has told Rising Times that he will stop his campaign for City Council president. McLaughlin cited personal reasons, including his wife and young son, and his current work at a White Plains law firm, as the reasons for his exit.

McLaughlin got into the race late for the Republican nomination for council president, and was placed in name for nomination at the GOP convention, but received less than 40%, with Jim Castro-Blanco the winner.

Since the convention, McLaughlin has been preparing for a primary battle with Castro-Blanco, and clearly looked at the prospects ahead of a primary against the party, the cost of fundraising, and being away from home for most of the summer.

McLaughlin’s decision is good news for Castro-Blanco and Yonkers Republicans who avoid a primary battle for CCP.

Regardless of why McLaughlin got out, his decision was in the best interests of the Yonkers GOP, and sets him up for a future run for office if he so chooses. McLaughlin has also been widely rumored over the years as a City Court Judge, or corporation counsel or even Deputy Mayor in a future administration.

His experience on the City Council, and his knowledge of the budget and ability to build consensus, is an asset to the City of Yonkers.  

Now that he is out of the race, McLaughlin and the council have before them votes on the city budget and the SFC LDA. Two huge unresolved issues — with the council and the mayor at odds over whether the mayor’s budget is balanced; and the SFC LDA, which still does not have 5 council votes needed for approval.