Outrage

The Rotterdam Town Board conducted a well-attended 2009 budget hearing last night. I prepared the best I was able by examining the Preliminary Budget posted on the town website on Monday. Of course, the Tentative Budget had been available previously as well. The document, if you’ve examined it, is an unwieldy beast of some 62 mind-numbing, vomit-inducing pages. With a contemplated 8% tax increase looming, there was plenty of unprettiness contained not only within its pages, but in the room as well.

Anger was palpable. People have had more than enough. Another tax increase of any magnitude will not be received well at all by the masses.

Supervisor Tommasone made a decent enough presentation to lead the night off. I think we all understand the revenue constraints we face. The real problem is the expenditure side of the equation. We simply have to reduce spending in order to survive. That’s not an easy task. In fact, the challenge is enormous in many respects. The Comptroller and others have done an outstanding job in many of their revenue forecasts. The bulk of our town budget is locked in contractually for things like police services and such. Those items cannot change by next week when by law we must adopt a budget. But the preliminary budget as it stands contains many salary increases, a costly newly proposed Economic Development Specialist position, and line items like office supplies, conferences, etc. that certainly can be reduced or eliminated.

I’m angry. Actually, I’m fuming mad. I almost did not attend the meeting because I don’t like to be that angry publicly. I also strongly dislike the procedural manner that our town budget hearings manifest themselves. “Town Hall style” Q & A went mostly unchecked, resulting in much off topic discussion and several hours of venting. The Supervisor bore the brunt of the wrath, with the rest of the Town Board occasionally weighing in from around the room. Too many distractions, I thought. I much prefer comments at the podium directed to the entire Town Board. I purposely brought prepared remarks to deliver in hopes it might help temper my rage but the format sucked me into a free-for-all that forced me to improvise poorly. I’m not proud of my conduct.

I’m not optimistic about prospects for next week. I certainly don’t think the Town Board will achieve 0%, or even desires to, without seriously raiding the surplus. Even a generous tapping of the surplus may leave us staring down the barrel of something on the order of a 5% increase.

We need to make deep, painful cuts to spending regardless. I suggested a simplistic approach to that task, in addition to identifying specific smaller potato cuts. Apply an equal % cut to every line that isn’t contractual. With one week available to achieve results, this would apply the pain equally and relieve the Town Board from needing to identify priorities. It may not be an ideal solution, but it works for me.

Later, I’ll post what were my intended remarks last night.