Lockport NY

The Buffalo News and the LUSJ are reporting on several city union contracts.

Three city unions have ratified groundbreaking new labor contracts that may save the city hundreds of thousands of dollars and enable it to privatize garbage service.

The Common Council ratified new deals with the city’s blue-collar union and the department head union last week. The police union ratified its contract Thursday and the Council is to vote on it Dec. 2.

All three contracts are for five years, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2008; they expire at the end of 2012.
A key factor is the ability for the city to shift retirees into a less expensive Medicare Advantage health insurance plan, Mayor Michael W. Tucker said.

 The ability to privatize the garbage collection is huge. Nice work by all on the give-and-take.

...with a 1.7% increase in the tax rate. Stories here: LUSJ / Buffalo News. Cut were some empty positions, recycling program initiation and other line items. The city is using a third of its surplus  ($1.1) million to offset the increase in employee pay rates and pensions. This $1.1 million will need to be made up in next year's budget (2011).


LUSJ notes that Mr Chapman and Mr Smith, running for ward seats, were pretty vocal about it not being enough.

The budgets drew criticism from a couple of opposition candidates for Council. Jack Smith, candidate for 2d Ward alderman, and Andrew Chapman, candidate for 4th Ward alderman, both said the Council “failed” residents by approving spending plans containing any tax increase at all.

Ahead of the vote, Smith told the aldermen he hoped they would “think first about whether you’ve given your all to getting it down to zero. ... If you vote for an increase, I really think you haven’t done your job.”

After the vote, Chapman said, “I own a business and I’ve had to lay off a whole bunch of people ... . Sometimes we have to make difficult decisions in a difficult time. You failed the people.”

LUSJ reporting today on the continuing 2010 city budget planning and then the budget meeting last night and the focus on recycling. The Buffalo News is also reporting.

It appears there was a change in the recycling plan that was discussed as Modern Disposal changed their bid (making it more expensive) and a city employee based service (picking up and delivering it to Allied in Kenmore) was submitted in its place. To get this city based option going it would have cost $102,000 or $0.16 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. The initial damage for recycling? $10.40 a year for a $65,000 house. That's a value meal at Subway. But public reaction at the meeting was still on the negative side. I'd only be hesitant on any long term costs of adding city employees.

Tucker was quoted as saying their is still hope.

Others argued it’s shameful that Lockport is one of the only municipalities in the region that still doesn’t offer a curbside recycling program. Instituting one now is about playing catch-up environmentally and morally, they said. ...... 

 The Council will hold a roll call vote on the final version of the 2010 budget next Wednesday. In the interim, Tucker predicted, “there’ll be a lot of debate about recycling. I think this Council pretty well understands, if there is a tax increase it can’t be any more than 3 percent. ... Can we have that and recycling? We’ll see.”

 If you are for it, be sure to let your council member know. The decision for this year will be coming next Wednesday.

Over all the budget is being whittled down with help from tapping reserve funds ($1.1 million).

During an afternoon work session, the Council approved some moves suggested by Mayor Michael W. Tucker and City Clerk and Budget Director Richard P. Mullaney that chopped the prospective tax increase from 12 percent to 3.86 percent

LUSJ is reporting on a public meeting scheduled for tomorrow pertaining to keeping recycling in the budget this year. The Buffalo News also has an article today.

Revenue and spending estimates were modified Monday by Mullaney, Tucker and Treasurer Michael White. The proposed general fund budget is just short of $24 million. The $1.35 million spending increase is to be covered mostly from a higher property tax levy because, year over year, there’s little growth in projected non-tax revenue such as sales tax, fees, fines, interest and state aid.

The document proposes taking $850,000 out of the $3.9 million general fund surplus, $100,000 more than this year’s budget did. The figure may rise to $1 million before the budget is approved, according to Tucker. If $1 million in surplus is appropriated in 2010, the city will sport a general fund balance of about $2.1 million, roughly the minimum 10 percent surplus recommended by the state comptroller to cover emergencies.

“There’s no way we’re going out there (to the public hearing) with a 5 percent tax increase, so I’d say we can take a little more (surplus), but not much more,” Tucker said. “There’s still some (budget) cutting to do.”

Of the $24 million projected spending, $19.6 million goes to employee costs, including 3 percent raises in 2010 for all members of the local CSEA and AFSCME units and the police and city department heads’ unions. The rest of the budget accounts for expected spending on supplies and contract/professional services retained by individual city departments, and annual debt payments

Also an article on Schrader's Garbage District proposal.

 Show up at the council chambers tomorrow (Wednesday Sept 29th) at 6:00 to be heard if you are for or against the added cost for a recycling program. You may also be able to write in to your council member if you prefer the "low-key" route.

I feel its long overdue and the cost per month is not unreasonable. It is a plus that it is contracted out and will not be adding employees or pension responsibilities to the city for the long term. I would also be for the garbage district to have everyone in the city pay for their garbage pickup thus more evenly distributing the costs.

LUSJ posted and article: CITY OF LOCKPORT: City faces $2M spending hike

• Three-percent pay raises for all employees in 2010, in addition to 3 percent raises given retroactively for 2009, in light of anticipated union contract settlements. Straight payroll costs are estimated at $12.2 million, $1 million more than this year.

• A 13 percent/nearly $590,000 increase in the health insurance tab. The city fully funds insurance premiums for all employees and eligible retirees.

• A $136,000 increase in mandatory payments to employee pension funds. Thanks to the stock market crashing last fall, the state is raising the per-employee payment to 18.5 percent of payroll for police and fire employees, up from 14.4 percent, and to 11 percent of payroll from 7 percent for all other employees. Based on latest information from the state, City Clerk/Budget Director Richard Mullaney penciled in a $1.4 million payment to the police/fire fund and a $415,000 payment to the Employee Retirement System in 2010. Year over year, it’s a 7.5 percent increase in the pension bill.

Most of the 2 million comes from employee obligations. Even at time of 10%+ unemployment in the city, business closures, Delphi's eventual lower assessment etc it's nice to know that the public sector employees can always count on the remaining tax payers to give the cost of living raises and full health care. ;) Some people may read that as sour grapes, but as most companies are forced to streamline and grow efficiencies for even survival in this economy it's alarming that government bodies can just keep on rolling along.

I'm all for public referendum's on public salary contracts, etc. (There's not much better than watching the NYS legislature grant itself a raise). Provisions are needed on the municipalities ability to pay. 

Quick search found Hampton N.H. voters turning down town employee contract amendments:

Article 12 - $69,321 to fund the cost items relating to the Teamsters, Local 633, salaries and benefits for 2009: 925 yes, 1,758 no.

Article 13 - $23,554 to fund the cost items relating to the Hampton Police Association (Sergeants), salaries and benefits for 2009: 971 yes, 1,732 no.

Article 14 - $144,187 to fund the cost items relating to the Hampton Police Association, salaries and benefits for 2009: 890 yes, 1,798 no.

Actually reading through that article the Hampton people get a say on a lot of aspects come voting time. The recent town board reductions in Erie County show how people will come out to vote when they actually get a say in something, beyond just picking someone to represent you and then hoping for the best.