Giuliano Outraged At Scheduling of Budget Veto Meeting

Mayor Sebastian Giuliano blasted the Democratic members of the Common Council for scheduling an important review of the mayor's veto of a budget item for Friday evening when Republican and Democratic state conventions will be in session.

"Maybe they can skip their Friday session of the convention," Giuliano said.  "But we are nominating candidates for federal seats on Friday at the convention, for the House and Senate.  Not only am I chairman of Middletown's delegation, but I need to be there to credential all candidates."

Giuliano explained that there is the possibility that only one Republican Common Council member could be available for the review of the budget veto.

"The deputy Mayor (Joe Bibisi) is a convention delegate," Giuliano explained.  "I know David Bauer told his Democratic colleagues about the convention.  And Phil Pessina's daughter is getting married.  He'll be out of town.  Do they expect him to skip his daughter's wedding?"

The Common Council has ten days from May 21 to consider Giuliano's veto.

"You mean to tell me that they couldn't find one day between now and May 28th where their caucus members were available?"  Giuliano asked.  "Monday's town committee meeting could have been moved to another room.  Tuesday the room is booked for an Army Corps presentation, but that leaves next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday."

Democratic majority leader Thomas Serra questioned whether Republican members of the Common Council should skip their Friday convention session to take care of city business.

"They could send proxies," Serra said.

"They can skip their convention Friday because all they're going to do is eat a little shrimp cocktail and have some drinks," Giuliano suggested, referring to Democratic Council members of the Council.  "We're doing real business.  Nominating candidates for seats to the Senate and House.

"This is an obvious attempt to disenfranchise the minority party," Giuliano said.  "In legal terms, this sounds like there is a claim for substantive due process.  Yes, they are working within the letter of the law.  The meeting is lawful but their intent is to disenfranchise.  This is an issue that deserves a full public airing, and they're avoiding it.  Are they afraid they don't have the eight votes to overturn the veto?"

In other developments on the issue of moving payroll for BOE employees to the city side, Giuliano explained that local 466 has filed an MPP (Municipal Prohibited Practice) complaint against the city with the State Department of Labor because union employees of the BOE are not being paid by the city, which is the bargaining agent for the union contract.

In addition, the city has received additional interpretations of it's legal rights under a state law which prohibits the city from budgeting less this year for the BOE than they did last year.  A consulting attorney has advised the city that it is liable for any penalties levied as a result of judgments against the BOE for non-certified employees.  The attorney also indicated that the city, as an interested party, would be allowed to make its case for BOE budget adjustments before the State Board of Education.