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Mayor: Niles fiscal-recovery plan ready
By Jordan Cohen
NILES
City council will review the latest version of the fiscal emergency recovery plan today, but even then, it may still be a work in progress, according to Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia.
“It could change up to the last minute,” the mayor said Monday. Scarnecchia said state auditors late last week determined his plan is viable.
Niles, in fiscal emergency since October 2014, is required by state law to follow a financial-recovery plan that produces a balanced budget for the next five years.
Scarnecchia had to create his own plan because he opposed several provisions in the current recovery plan developed by his predecessor, Ralph Infante.
One of the sticking points has been the mayor’s proposal to use water department funds to maintain the city’s three full-time dispatchers who have been paid from the deficit-ridden general fund. The previous plan would have turned over dispatching to Trumbull County 911 Center.
Infante’s plan projected savings of $93,000 this year and $124,000 in 2017 by shifting the dispatchers.
“We would offer jobs to all three full-timers,” said Trumbull Chief Deputy Ernie Cook, 911 director. Cook said the dispatchers would be paid at a senior rate and would receive medical coverage.
Cook said part-time dispatchers would not be retained, however.
Scarnecchia disclosed that after a meeting with the auditors last week, he decided against keeping the dispatchers only to change his mind 24 hours later.
“The auditor reviewed it and said it could be done,” Scarnecchia said. “They said it was up to me.”
One council member, however, does not agree with the mayor that the city should maintain the dispatchers.
“I can’t understand why we keep them when we can send them to another building and they can keep their jobs,” said Councilman Steve Papalas, D-at large. “Then we can use some of the general fund to bring back a police officer or fireman, and the water fund to repair around 87 hydrants in the city that aren’t working.”
Six members of the safety forces were among 12 city employees laid off this month due to the general-fund deficit of $1.5 million, according to the mayor.
Council President Robert Marino said he is withholding judgement until he hears what the mayor has to say. Marino and Scarnecchia are among the seven-member Financial Planning and Supervision Commission that oversees city spending and must vote to approve or reject Scarnecchia’s revised plan.
“I’m going to rely on the state auditors, their numbers and their guidance for direction,” Marino said. The council president indicated he is likely to support the plan “if the state auditors say it’s feasible and not detrimental to our five-year forecast.”
Council votes on the plan at its regular meeting Wednesday and the commission casts its vote Thursday. Approval from both is required by state fiscal emergency laws.
The plan does not include revenue from the 0.5 percent income-tax increase on the March 15 primary election ballot. Voter approval would provide $2 million annually for the safety forces.