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Budget Settled in Secret?

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Budget Settled in Secret? THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS FAIR FREE DEC 10 - DEC 18 , 2015 VOL. 16, NO. 48 FREE Budget settled in secret? What goes on? 2 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 10 - DEC 18, 2015 Dyster’s Budget Passed With no Oversight by Council, Media, Public Mike Hudson Here’s some news. The Niagara Falls City Council ap - proved Mayor Paul Dyster’s proposed 2016 budget at a November 17 work session. The budget was passed without the benefit of public debate and the usual nu - merous public meetings. The work session at which the budget was passed was called to order at 4:05 p.m. and adjourned at 4:07 p.m. That’s right, the Council spent just two minutes passing the most important legislation it will be called upon to review all year. This year, there was a meeting on No - vember 2, at which Dyster presented his budget, one work session on November 9, Glenn Choolokian, usually a at which the Council introduced seven res - vocal advocate for cutting ex - olutions, and another eight days later at The 2015 budget was hotly debated by the council and the mayor. penses, was quite during the which the budget was passed. The minutes The 2016 budget passed with nary a word. From left to right Coun - 2016 budget process. for the November 9 meeting do not say cilmembers Kristen Grandinetti, Andrew Touma and Charles The proposed and adopted budgets are what the seven resolutions were. Walker. The Council put more time in at the at the top of the left hand column. We are left this week with several ques - November 9 meeting, exactly one minute widely seen as the spoiler in the general ready been passed. tions. more. The meeting was called to order at election with a write in candidacy that some The 278-page, $102.3 million spending How did the Council debate and dis - 4:03 p.m. and adjourned at 4:06. There say handed Dyster a victory over Republi - plan that the City Council spent five min - cuss Dyster’s proposed 2016 budget when were seven resolutions to pass, after all. can John Accardo - with Dyster winning utes publicly working on in their two meet - records exist only for five minutes at which Minutes for all three meetings note the with just 47 percent of the vote, went along ings won’t result in a tax increase and a quorum of Council members were pres - presence of city Corporation Council Tom with the majority. apparently makes no provision for the $7.4 ent? O’Donnell, however, a presence that lends In years past, Choolokian has been an million shortfall that will have to be made What were the seven amendment reso - a sense of legality to what might otherwise outspoken critic of every budget proposed up with revenue from the city’s local share lutions passed by the Council on November be construed as almost backroom budget by Dyster, offering a raft of amendments of slot machine revenue from the Seneca 9? passage. and working furiously to cut expenses. Niagara Casino. Why was the budget passed before the No members of the media were noted His silence concerning the budget of A citywide reassessment lawmakers city’s Financial Review Board released its’ in the minutes, nor were any members of 2016 and the circumstances surrounding its are pushing for next year may take up the recommendations? the public present. In past years, the budget passage has City Hall, has insiders com - slack and result in tax increases for Niagara If the Financial Review Board knew debate is front page news and various inter - menting on the strange turn of events. Falls home and business owners. the budget had already been passed, why est groups use the public meetings to lobby Also of interest is that the budget was Calls to Dyster and Choolokian were didn’t board Chairman Carmen Granto for their causes. quietly passed 13 days before the city’s Fi - not returned as of presstime. mention it in the several interviews he did This year, the vote was unanimous, 4- nancial Review Board issued its’ final re - As of now, the only place where one after issuing the report on November 30? 0, with the late councilman, Bob Anderson, port on November 30. It is unknown can discover that next year’s budget has al - not present for the meeting due to illness. whether the board members, who spent a ready been passed by the Council and Councilman Glenn Choolokian, who lost to year preparing the report that was to osten - adopted by the administration is the city’s Dyster by fewer than 70 votes in the Dem - sibly have guided the Council on the 2016 official website, http://www.niagarafall - ocratic mayoral primary, and had been budget, were even aware the budget had al - susa.org/. NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER “The Truth is Always Fair” CHAIRMAN & EDITOR IN CHIEF Frank Parlato Managing Editor Senior Editor Dr. Chitra Selvaraj Tony Farina (716) 284-5595 PHONE: P.O. Box 3083, Niagara Falls, N.Y. 14304 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.niagarafallsreporter.com All contents copyright © 2015 Niagara Falls Reporter Inc. 3 NIAGARA FALLS REPORTER DEC 10 - DEC 18, 2015 Holly Jolly Trolly Skips City Market; Crying Kids Wait FoPatrrick BNrowon, hu sSbanhd of oCityw Contr oSller anta Mike Hudson Maria Brown and an ardent Dyster sup - porter. When City Administrator Donna “At least this administration tried some - Owens took time from her schedule back in thing like the holly trolly (sic),” Brown lec - 2008 to come up with the idea for the Holly tured. “I don't recall prior administrations Trolley Christmas event, she said, “It’s a doing anything like this.” chance for the community to express their Besides that, he wrote, it was inappro - holiday cheer. There’s a lot to cheer about. priate to bring the issue up on Facebook at We’re so blessed.” all. And the Holly Trolley became a Christ - “I guess you should take it to next coun - mas tradition, as Owens and Mayor Paul cil meeting… (T)alking about it on Face - Dyster accompanied Santa Claus around book doesn't do much.” town in a rented bus, making scheduled Other commentators disagreed. stops and greeting eagerly waiting children. “I think the point is the city attempted Santa would ask the youngsters what Santa didn't make it to the City Market this year. to do something nice for the children for they wanted for Christmas, dispense candy Christmas and they couldn't even follow canes and pose for photos. through,” wrote Patricia Robinson. “Just an - “There were about 25 in the tent but it This year, Joanna Jo Romano called other disappointment.” was bitter cold and a lot of people were wait - City Hall to ask that the Trolley stop at City Romano followed up with another call ing in their cars to keep warm,” she said. Market. A city employee told her that the to City Hall and was told that a report of a “The parking lot was full.” stop could be added but, a few days later, suicidal man with a gun on 15th Street kept The appointed time came and went and when the Trolley schedule was published in Dyster, Owens and Santa away. Santa, Dyster and Owens were no shows. At the Niagara Gazette, the City Market stop “So there’s a dangerous situation hap - 6:30, Romano went looking for them, with - wasn’t listed. pening and they leave a bunch of children out success. By 7 o’clock, the crowd began Romano called City Hall again. there but are too afraid to show up them - to break up, and Romano posted on Face - “This time I asked to speak to Donna selves?” Romano asked. “We just wanted to book. Owens directly,” she said. “She said the stop give these kids a ray of hope in this city.” “This evening a group of families and could be added, so I went over to the Next year, she said, things will be dif - children gathered in the cold awaiting for Gazette. They published a notice about it the ferent. Santa to come on the Trolley at the City next day.” “We’re going to do our own and it will Market,” she posted. “We took no pleasure Two restaurants in the market, the be great,” Romano promised. “Miss Bev's in telling these children Santa couldn't make Maple and the 755 Lounge, co-sponsored and Diane's kids – the Boys and Girls Club it. Heart wrenching to watch these children the 6 o’clock event, springing for a tent and -- will rock it with dance and I'll get a choir cry. This was inexcusable and cruel. Shame refreshments. Romano promoted the visit to bring in the real celebration. Santa will be on this administration.” from Santa on Facebook, and the turnout there with toys for all the kids. We can do Romano was quickly set upon by was good. this without the Trolley and the City Hall employees.” Happy News: Niagara Falls is No. 1: Highest Taxed City in Highest Taxed State This comparison was based on nine dif - ferent types of taxation: real estate taxes, state and local income taxes, vehicle prop - erty taxes, vehicle sales taxes, sales and use taxes, fuel taxes, alcohol taxes, food taxes, and telecom taxes. According to New York State’s Finan - cial Restructuring Board for Local Govern - ments, Niagara Falls is the highest taxed municipality in New York which, as men - According to WalletHub, New York tioned above, is the highest state in the US.
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