By Doug Miller
The city had until then to adopt a scaled-down version of the $72 million budget proposed last month by City Manager John Laffey, which includes an unprecedented 25 percent increase in the city's property tax levy. Without an agreement, the budget would go into effect July 1 as proposed and by default.
Remo said that while he shared the community's concerns about the proposed tax increase, his willingness to compromise was not so broad as to include further quick fixes, as he described property sales and other one-shot revenue sources. "All the members of the council are still talking and trying to work this out," Remo said. "But using too many one-shots and future monies would put this city in jeopardy."
Remo, a Democrat, called that type of budgeting "an historic pattern" used by past administrations of both parties. "The last two years [of Republican rule] did nothing to ease the burden, but it's not completely on the back of the last two years," he said.
Republican council members Jim Hennessy and Tom Sofield did not return calls for comment.
Democratic councilman Rob Tepper said Wednesday morning that he couldn't predict how he would vote until after the final budget was on the table, but he said he would not support the 25 percent tax increase and, going forward, would lobby for an extensive city charter change.
Tepper also took a roundabout swipe at City Manager John Laffey, who is appointed by the majority and serves at the pleasure of the council. "We need a mayor," Tepper said. "Someone needs to be accountable to the voters other than five part-time legislators. We have a budget being proposed, and the person proposing the budget isn't accountable to the voters."
Tepper also called for a city-wide hiring freeze, an across-the-board moratorium on raises and overtime and massive spending cuts.
Because some version of a budget was going to take effect at midnight Wednesday, Tepper said charter change is needed to address the runaway-train budget process. "The charter should provide for an austerity budget until we can get a budget passed," he said.
The budget vote took place after the Herald's deadline. For details on the vote, visit www.liherald.com.
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
