Gatelli says no more borrowing (Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: city hall, loans, attorney)

[NYRangers 2008]

Gatelli: No borrowing legislation
BY STACY BROWN
STAFF WRITER
08/10/2007
Vowing not to approve borrowing money this year to help balance the budget, council President Judy Gatelli held an informal budget session at City Hall on Thursday.



Scranton Firefighter Don Kirchner, Friendship House Vice President Pat Ackourey, attorney Mike Genello and architect Cheryl Murnin agreed to join a fact-finding committee Mrs. Gatelli established to seek ways to pump more money into the local economy.

The group is not acting in an official capacity and is made up of volunteers.

Mrs. Gatelli, Mr. Ackourey and Mr. Kirchner were the only members to attend Thursday’s session.

“We will hold these sessions weekly and try and look for revenue generators,” said Mrs. Gatelli, who hopes to gather enough information from the sessions to propose an operating budget for 2008.

“There is a lot that has to be looked at, and I am here to try and help,” Mr. Ackourey said. Mr. Kirchner echoed Mr. Ackourey and said he’s willing to help Mrs. Gatelli and others find solutions. The city has about $108 million in principal debt and has had to borrow money to balance the budget each of the past four years.

During Thursday’s session — the first of what is expected to be weekly meetings until a new budget comes before council in the fall — the panel floated ideas that included introducing new entertainment, commuter and billboard taxes and levying taxes on college students who live outside the city.

“The student tax would be more of a public safety tax that would help cover police and fire safety,” Mrs. Gatelli said. “I’m still hoping that the nonprofits in our city will step up and offer more financial help.”

Mrs. Gatelli said she would not approve any legislation, including borrowing, to balance the budget. The administration doesn’t plan on any borrowing, city Business Administrator Leonard Kresefksi said.

In December, council approved a record $77.4 million spending plan, which included a $10 million borrowing plan and $14.5 million in tax-anticipation loans.

In her proposed budget, which was voted down, council finance chairwoman Janet Evans sought to eliminate several top-level positions in the administration to save money.

While 13 top administrators took pay cuts of 5 percent under the budget, the plan proposed by Mrs. Evans would have made deeper cuts in the salaries of many in the administration.

“I understand that Janet Evans is the finance chair, and she is more than welcome to attend these sessions,” Mrs. Gatelli said. “We’re just looking for ways to help our city’s financial problems.”

Contact the writer: sbrown@timesshamrock.com

__________________________________________________ __________

Well there you have it. Gatelli says she won't approve any more borrowing and the mayor doesn't want to do any more either. Well they better keep their word this time or you'll have people busting down the doors of City Hall demanding answers. This would be a small step to getting the city's financial mess in order, but there is still much more to be done to escape the huge Doherty debt that this mayor has inflicted on the citizens of Scranton.

[weluvpa]

He doesn't really need to borrow he has stacked the parking authority with his cronies and they just got $35,000,000. He is going to use it to build at least two more garages in the downtown for who I could even begin to guess because parking really is not a issue in Scranton at all. He will build two and the contracts will go to Scratelli and Highland Assoc will get the design contracts thus fulfilling his favors from those companies and probably repaying their contributions. He has squirreled money and people away in different depts this year so that he will still be able to get to the money thru them. Thus he does not have borrow because he already took the money and placed where he needs it. See he is getting ready to run for a third term and he can not win if he borrows more but if he doesn't then he might have a chance, but for those of us that have watched the money goto to the SSA and SPA along with the former Treasurer and several other key people its clear what he is doing.... He has already set up his cash for the next year thru the authorities. He also gave the SSA their charter which means that they do not have to answer to the city hence when they give the money to him we(the city) cannot stop them. Very slick moves on the mayors part and not to mention our old friend Judy has played into it the entire time, she does not need to do this exploring of ways its right infront of her. He created the dept of Public Safety to give a job to Ray Hayes and Mark Seitzinger plus their two secretaries, if Judy wants to save on the cash then eliminate this dept that we survived without just fine for many years. Its just funny how Judy is going to try to and come out as the president of council who helped the mayor not borrow right before he is getting ready for a third term run, what a joke and its as transparent as they come. If you did not pay attention to where the money has been stashed thru out the authorities then it would seem all is well but its not. The SSA is going to raise our rates thru the ceiling and the city will not be able to stop it because Judy and Doherty 3 have placed them on their own without having to answer to us on their spending. This is just a tactic to pull the wool over the sheeps eyes in the city. Not to mention that they did not bother to bring up the long term Doherty debt of $300,000,000, they only mention the principal debt which is lower due to the fact that did not and would never take into account the interest among other things....Nice try Judy but you still are feeding this corrupt admin money jusy doing under the radar and using the authorities to hide it, great job ...........

[SteelCityRising]

Why on Earth would we need more parking garages downtown? As much as I may like to be a supporter of the downtown's recovery, I find this to be nothing but a waste of taxpayer dollars. When I attend city council meetings I'm always able to easily locate a parking spot on the first-floor of the Steamtown Mall parking garage, from where I then walk only several blocks to city hall. I used to clandestinely switch vehicles with my ex on the uppermost level of the parking garage, and the upper floors were always barren as well. Considering the mayor is probably trying to build one garage exclusively for the Connell Building, I find it to be suspect that people would be unwilling to walk ONE BLOCK from Steamtown to that property in the 100-block of North Washington Avenue. A Scranton Times-Tribune reporter should interview patrons of Molly Brannigan's sometime and ask where they are parked. I can GUARANTEE that 95% of them aren't parked right above their heads in the garage attached to the restaurant. Most are likely parked just down the road at the Steamtown garage.

I also never find there to be a shortage of open parking meters downtown (well now there is due to the construction on the square, but that usually isn't the case). Parking is a problem in Wilkes-Barre, as my own college ran out of daily parking options for its students, but Scranton doesn't have nearly as much of a daily "influx" as Wilkes-Barre does, with its 14,500 employees, 6,500 students, etc. Why not use a portion of that money to instead FINALLY put some freakin' dirt on the riverbank in Lower Green Ridge? What on Earth does the city have against your neighborhood, Daniel?

[weluvpa]

ME! I speak out against the status quo!

[casper]

NYRangers 2008
Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: West Scranton, PA
299 posts, read 30,172 times
Reputation: 40



Gatelli says no more borrowing

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Gatelli: No borrowing legislation
BY STACY BROWN
STAFF WRITER
08/10/2007
Vowing not to approve borrowing money this year to help balance the budget, council President Judy Gatelli held an informal budget session at City Hall on Thursday.



Scranton Firefighter Don Kirchner, Friendship House Vice President Pat Ackourey, attorney Mike Genello and architect Cheryl Murnin agreed to join a fact-finding committee Mrs. Gatelli established to seek ways to pump more money into the local economy.

The group is not acting in an official capacity and is made up of volunteers.

Mrs. Gatelli, Mr. Ackourey and Mr. Kirchner were the only members to attend Thursday’s session.

“We will hold these sessions weekly and try and look for revenue generators,” said Mrs. Gatelli, who hopes to gather enough information from the sessions to propose an operating budget for 2008.

“There is a lot that has to be looked at, and I am here to try and help,” Mr. Ackourey said. Mr. Kirchner echoed Mr. Ackourey and said he’s willing to help Mrs. Gatelli and others find solutions. The city has about $108 million in principal debt and has had to borrow money to balance the budget each of the past four years.

During Thursday’s session — the first of what is expected to be weekly meetings until a new budget comes before council in the fall — the panel floated ideas that included introducing new entertainment, commuter and billboard taxes and levying taxes on college students who live outside the city.

“The student tax would be more of a public safety tax that would help cover police and fire safety,” Mrs. Gatelli said. “I’m still hoping that the nonprofits in our city will step up and offer more financial help.”

Mrs. Gatelli said she would not approve any legislation, including borrowing, to balance the budget. The administration doesn’t plan on any borrowing, city Business Administrator Leonard Kresefksi said.

In December, council approved a record $77.4 million spending plan, which included a $10 million borrowing plan and $14.5 million in tax-anticipation loans.

In her proposed budget, which was voted down, council finance chairwoman Janet Evans sought to eliminate several top-level positions in the administration to save money.

While 13 top administrators took pay cuts of 5 percent under the budget, the plan proposed by Mrs. Evans would have made deeper cuts in the salaries of many in the administration.

“I understand that Janet Evans is the finance chair, and she is more than welcome to attend these sessions,” Mrs. Gatelli said. “We’re just looking for ways to help our city’s financial problems.”

Contact the writer: sbrown@timesshamrock.com


Now, We all know this whole article is a crock of ****. Gatelli just wants to make her voice heard only for doherty to come and knock her word to the ground. Gatelli is a crony just like doherty.

I want nothing more than to see developments in scranton. I want to be able to walk in the city and say..this is what my tax dollars payed for. Instead, We let entitys like catholic social services and university of scranton marywood operate in our city without paying a great amount of dollars. Punishing out of state students is no way to make our city look good, so makeing them pay a 100.00 fee is just down right dispicable. I spit at the name doherty and gatelli because they deserve the disrespect. I never in my 27 years of existence on this planet thought hitler would return to council chambers as president of city council. The only way to get out of debt is stop the ****ing spending. NO! that is not what gatelli means by not borrowing..she said not borrowing..she never said not spending. Trust me, There is much better ways to get money other than Borrow it. doherty is a pro at coning businesses.