Republican Town Chairman Matt Scarrozzo sent this commentary to the Eye. We have solicited comment from the Democratic Council. They are caucusing on the budget tonight (Wednesday), and promise to share their thoughts after that caucus.
On Thursday April 29 the Common Council held its public hearing on the budget proposed by the Mayor for the fiscal year of 2011. The intention of this process is to allow the taxpayers to comment before the Council exercises its duty under the Charter to adopt a budget. What is attended, however, and what actually occurs are two different things; the public never gets a chance to see or comment on the budget we actually get.
Middletown's Charter requires that the Mayor propose a budget for the fiscal year on or before April 1. Once that is done, the process is exclusively in the hands of the Common Council, which has to adopt a budget by May 15. This year, it will be Thursday, May 13.
On the agenda for that meeting will be a resolution to adopt the budget proposed by the Mayor on April 1. What the majority caucus will do as it has been for the last four budgets is introduce amendments to create the budget that will be imposed on all of us. Every budget the City has had since Mayor Giuliano took has been adopted this way.
The Mayor proposed a budget, that was published; the Council has had workshops and a public hearing (totally up front). Throughout this process, the only thing that has been before us is the Mayor's budget proposal.
When the vote is finally taken on the budget, it will be something that nobody but the majority (DEMOCRATS) caucus has seen, scrutinized , discussed or subjected to public comment. While the public has had 45 days to consider what the Mayor has proposed, it doesn't get 45 seconds to consider the budget that the Democrat Council will hand us.
Here we go again, control of the DEMOCRATS. Councilman Serra and Councilman Loffreddo have both made a point of asking City directors, during the budget workshops, if the Mayor has afforded them the opportunity to discuss his proposal for their respective departmental budgets with him before they are formally presented. The implication of the Councilmen's question is clear: the budget proposal should have the opportunity to be voted on before it is implemented; it should be discussed with those who will be impacted by it. Neither of these Councilmen, nor their caucus mates, for that matter appears to be concerned that they do not afford anyone else the opportunity to similarly consider their budget.
Matthew L Scarrozzo
Middletown Republican
Town Committee
Chairman
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