Allentown received the organizational recommendations from Novak Consulting, a day late and a dollar short. O'Connell's administration had already submitted their proposed budget to city council before the delayed report was completed. Among the gems the report contained was a recommendation that perhaps Allentown should use an outsider negotiator for union contracts. We could have used one of them when Afflerbach gave the store away to the police union.
The report praised the decision to lease the water and sewage department, ignoring the astronomical increase to the homeowners by the recent change to monthly billing. Actually, there were other recommendations out of touch with the local realities. Who could imagine that an outside analysis by a Ohio firm might miss some local flavor?
Perhaps the most inappropriate idea was essentially doing away the Park and Recreation Department, and having public works take care of park maintenance. The Ohio pencil pusher probably didn't know that most of the park budget comes from the Trexler Trust, and that the recommendation would actually cost Allentown several $million in lost revenue.
The report cost $125,000, which would have paid for a city position. City Council virtually snickered at it, suggesting that perhaps a committee be formed to study it. I suppose its best value was providing material for a blog post.
post card from golden era of park system
No mention of eliminating the City Manager position?
ReplyDeleteI thought people were elected to make these decisions, but they readily pay for such consulting to justify what they would like to do. If the report does not justify their decisions they will likely dispose of it. If they cant make decisions then they should not run for office.
ReplyDeleteCan the City start taxing itself out of this financial train wreck w/o making drastic spending cuts ?
ReplyDeleteMy understanding is that the state paid for the report. If that's true,there may be the veiled threat behind it that the state will take over the city if the dire deficit projections are realized. I have no knowledge of anything beyond the presentation but my takeaway is that the budget can be controlled by consolidating city functions; eliminating positions: demanding increased productivity and more job responsibility on the part of the employees; contracting out as many jobs as possible, including negotiation with the unions; better control of spiraling health care costs; and raising taxes and fees to make up the shortfall. They also encouraged spending only on priorities to save money.
ReplyDeleteI'm not at all sure whether i agree with all this, whether it's just common sense, or whether these are slick presenters selling platitudes instead of real solutions.
ReplyDeleteRobert@12:19, you're correct that the study was paid for with a state grant, but I doubt that it was coupled with any grand plan by the state. I do not believe that the state has any grand plans.... Totally ineffective governor. Amazing that state taxpayers are financing a $billion dollars of private property development in Allentown, and yet the city has no benefit.
ReplyDeleteAmazing that state taxpayers are financing a $billion dollars of private property development in Allentown, and yet the city has no benefit.
DeleteI can't even begin to tell you how angry this NIZ makes me. Water goes up, property tax goes up, city EIT goes up, rain water fee.. yet the city finances continue to dwindle down. I think most all of us seen through this legal scam before it started. It's even costing the schools in lost property taxes... so we're taking a hit from the ASD too. No end in sight. What a bunch of... (you know what).
I understand the study presumes 2 percent annual growth. Does that seem a bit presumptuous to anyone else?
ReplyDeleteDoes the study suggest hiring people to figure out how to balance the budget? Then we can hire people to tell Ray and the nit wits on city council what they should be doing. Clearly they don't have a clue.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you think the city's finances are unsettling, wait umtil the reporting on the school district comes out. They passed a budget last August that didn't even cover expenses for the budget year, in fact it had a six million dollar deficit. Ce-Ce Gerlach an architect of such reckless spending will soon be on city council with her big ideas.
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