CITY COUNCIL SPENDING MONEY IT DOESN"T HAVE

The City Council Last night voted 5-2 (Murtagh and Barbato disenting)to transfer $350,000 in money budgeted for election expenses to salary lines for hiring of additional Council staff. The council's action is the worst sort of pork barrel politics but also potentially leaves the City with a substantial unfunded exposure.

At issue is a vote by Council President Chuck Lesnick and a majority of the Council to transfer $350,000 previously budgeted for the cost of administering elections, to fund a hiring spree of new political appointments in the Council President’s office and the City Clerk’s office. The latter office is also controlled by the Council. The majority is justifying its spending by claiming that under a new State law, the County of Westchester will now pay the election costs previously paid by the City. However, the Council majority failed to do the necessary investigation and had they done so would understand that the City will still be paying the election expenses in question. The 2005 Election and Consolidation Improvement Act specifically provides that the Counties may charge back election expenses to the municipalities after the fact and based on the conversations I have had with officials at both the Board of Elections and in the County Executive’s office, all indications are that Westchester County fully intends to do so. My colleagues on the Council, in a rush to beef up their own power base are risking leaving the City with a substantial unfunded liability.

At a meeting with municipal officials on October 19, 2006, County Executive Spano and his staff advised local officials that they had the discretion under the new state law to pass along the expenses and were considering doing so. If the County Legislature does what it is expected to do, Yonkers will shortly be handed a six figure bill that it cannot pay due to the actions of the City Council.

Councilwomen Dee Barbato and I had previously urged our colleagues not to transfer the funds to their own use simply because it was a waste of taxpayer’s dollars. Now having investigated the law, it is clear that it is not only wasteful but risks potentially leaving the City exposed to a substantial liability.