Niles needs voters, unions on board for financial recovery plan to work

NILES

The five-year recovery plan for the city to emerge from fiscal emergency will depend heavily for its success on the support of two constituencies that may not be willing to completely go along: voters and the city’s unions.

Support of both will be hard to get, say members of the Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, which took over control of the city’s finances after the state auditor declared Niles in fiscal emergency last October.

The plan, submitted by Mayor Ralph Infante and approved by council, includes a 0.25-percent increase in the city income tax, which would have to be approved by the voters. The increase would generate $600,000 in 2016 and $900,000 each of the following three years.

“Some of this is going to be a heavy lift,” said Robert Marino, council president and commission member.

“It will take the efforts of everyone to make it successful.”

Among the numerous cost-reduction items that require negotiations: elimination of minimum manning and three captain positions through attrition in the police department, and revision of health and life insurance coverage and rates.

Read more about the plan in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.