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SCHENECTADY
Council looks to add 2 posts
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    Just two months after the city cut 75 positions from the budget, department heads came to the City Council to beg for more workers.
    With some reluctance, the council agreed in committee Tuesday to hire a part-time code enforcer and a full-time sewer repair worker, costing the city $63,000 plus benefits.
    City Councilman Carl Erikson said the city shouldn’t hire any more workers, since it was more likely to lay them off at the end of the year.
    “We’re talking about laying off two, 10, 20 people,” he said. “My concern is adding to the list of people who have to be laid off next year.”
    Commissioner of General Services Carl Olsen labored to explain that his request — for a $33,000 sewer worker — would not affect the projected defi cit in the 2012 budget, which may require layoffs.
    Sewer workers are paid entirely out of sewer fees. Their benefits and equipment are also covered by the sewer fee charged to every property owner.
    The sewer fund does not have a deficit and is not projected to go into deficit, Olsen said. The projected deficit is in the general fund that pays for code enforcement, public safety and most other city operations, except for water, sewer and part of the trash collection.
    “So sewer really has nothing to do with it,” he said, adding that the sewer fund is “healthy.” The new position would be funded through the budgeted fees for services line, which was intended to be used when the city needed to hire contractors.
    Olsen also stressed that the city needs more sewer workers. ........................>>>>...............>>>>............................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00902&AppName=1

but if something happens with the sewer fund.....the benefits(cola)still F'EN exist and get guaranteed...NO MATTER WHAT THE ACTUAL BUDGET IS....

does anyone see that????

they wont tackle it.....WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW CAN YOU HAVE A FUTURE BUDGET WITH THE ENTITLEMENT GUARANTEES AND CALL THAT A BUDGET?????

Well, give it another three Council meetings and the City will have triple the number of workers than before the 'cuts'. Is the Council this moronic that in the face of deficit, a drastic cut in state funds and over burdened taxpayers that they'd allow 2 more City jobs? They already gave in to the firefighters...why not every other department too.  

What ever happened to giving back the City vehicles, the free City cell phones, the residency requirements, the 89 layoffs (that turned into actually 3)??? This Council needs to find a backbone before the entire City is bankrupt.

Quoted from rachel72

What ever happened to giving back the City vehicles, the free City cell phones, the residency requirements, the 89 layoffs (that turned into actually 3)??? This Council needs to find a backbone before the entire City is bankrupt.

Absolutely sickening-total contempt for the oppressed City taxpayers. The phony early retirements, the hand wringing over layoffs and then all of 3 people get canned. Now they already rehired two of them? NO City vehicles have been returned, not one cell phones has been taken back. Plenty of talk-no action. They don't know how to cut spending.

     The City is morally and fiscally bankrupt. Its all about serving up not service with these City DEMS. Nothing will change until 4 Councilcrats are dumped in November. The City DEMS have proven to be fiscally incompetent, caring only about feathering their nests.

Quoted from senders

but if something happens with the sewer fund.....the benefits(cola)still F'EN exist and get guaranteed...NO MATTER WHAT THE ACTUAL BUDGET IS....

does anyone see that????

they wont tackle it.....WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HOW CAN YOU HAVE A FUTURE BUDGET WITH THE ENTITLEMENT GUARANTEES AND CALL THAT A BUDGET?????

why do we budget for only the few's future?????

When work goes beyond what the present crew can't handle............farm it out to the lowest NON UNION private bidder so costs are lower. Then the taxpayers won't have employee's salaries and benefits for LIFE!!