By Doug Miller
There were only four items on Tuesday's agenda. But only three of the five City Council members showed up for Tuesday's meeting, and the result was Council President Leonard Remo failed to muster the three votes needed to move forward a crucial Oct. 3 public hearing outlining his administration's bond strategy.
The public hearing would have served as a curtain-raiser to the administration's plan to borrow $15 million to perform various capital improvements throughout the city, restock its fleet of vehicles and restore the decrepit West End firehouse.
Democrats Robert Tepper and Denise Tangney were absent, so the Republican Coalition minority of Jim Hennessy and Tom Sofield Jr. were able to at least stall the bond proposal, if not outright kill it.
"After sitting on the council with them for more than two years, I wasn't the least bit surprised by their vote," Remo said Wednesday morning, with a tone of disgust. "They failed to address the infrastructure for two years [when they were in the majority]. I wonder how long Messrs. Sofield and Hennessy expect this city to wait before they'll participate in making these crucial repairs."
But Hennessy said he wasn't impressed with the proposal or the city's explanation for it, and said the city manager's office had not come through on a promised financial report he had requested. "Three months ago the sky was falling," he said Wednesday. "You raised taxes 25 percent. Before I move forward and put the city $15 million in debt, I want to know that the city is in good financial shape. And I think the people have the right to know this."
He also said he was troubled by a letter he said City Manager Edwin Eaton sent out to city employees urging them to attend the Oct. 3 public hearing.
Hennessy and Sofield had certainly given hints they were troubled by the bond proposal. An e-mail to supporters, a copy of which was sent to the Herald, requested feedback on the bond, and the wording in the e-mail suggested that the councilmen were skeptical. Saying the bond was coming "on the heels of the recently enacted 25 percent property tax increase," the coalition promised the bond issue would result in an "at least 5 percent tax increase on top of whatever tax increase might be needed for general fund spending increases."
But Remo refuted those numbers Tuesday. "The way this is structured, there is money in the debt reserve and capital improvement fund and other funds," he said. "So barring any cataclysm, the first three or perhaps four years we'll have the money in place to pay for it without affecting the tax base or the general fund."
Bond issues by charter require four city council votes to pass, so Remo would have need the support of either Hennessy or Sofield in order to get this passed. City Manager Edwin Eaton on Sunday married the former Carolyn Roganti and was traveling on his honeymoon, and therefore unavailable for comment.
Moody's bond rating for Long Beach is BAA2, and has remained consistent since the 1987, but with the hefty tax hike the city has been removed from Moody's "watch list," making it cheaper to borrow than it has been in the past. He said it would be the intention of the city to petition Moody's in December for a promotion to BAA1, at which point the bonds could be refinanced for a lower rate.
The breakdown of the proposed spending includes $6 million for sidewalks, curbs, landscaping and other basic roadwork; $1 million in improvements to the Recreation Center on Magnolia Boulevard; $1.5 million to improve the city's bayside bulkheads; $2.5 million to rehab the firehouse; $3 million for new heavy machinery, $251,000 for police and other vehicles; $135,000 for a new ambulance and $2 million for a sewer lift station.
"Everyone in the city should understand that our antiquated infrastructure can not wait any longer for repairs," said Remo. "Hennessy and Sofield say that we can not afford to do this. I will tell you flat out that our city can not afford to wait."
Comments about this story? DMiller@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
