by p.biancaniello
Smithtown Town BoardSmithtown’s 2015 Town Budget did not pass. The budget failed to receive the necessary three votes to become the official 2015 Town Budget. Supervisor Vecchio and Councilwoman Nowick voted in support of the budget, Councilman/Deputy Supervisor McCarthy abstained (a $30,000 increase in the Deputy Supervisor’s stipend, the position McCarthy holds, was included in the budget) Councilmen Wehrheim and Creighton voted NO. Prior to voting on the 2015 budget, there was a vote on a resolution amending the proposed budget which passed in a three - two decision with Vecchio, McCarthy, Nowick voting YES and Wehrheim and Creighton voting NO.
According to Supervisor Vecchio the budget amendment became necessary due to the fact that the proposed transfer of Highway Department employees would not occur on January 1 as initially budgeted. Instead the transfers will take place in July of 2015. Therefore predicted savings in the highway budget would not happen. The amendment provides funding for the highway department with current personel staffing. Also included in the amendment were salary increases for certain town employees.
To understand what happens in 2015 you need to understand the budget process.
The function of preparing the town’s budget rests with a town’s Supervisor. After creating a budget the Supervisor presents it to Town Council members and the public. Council members, after examining the budget, may offer amendments/changes to the budget and the changes may or may not be incorporated in to the budget. Town Board members then vote to schedule a public hearing on what is now called the Tentative Budget. The public is invited to comment on the budget. At this point changes may be made to the budget but generally are not significant changes. A resolution for the town board to accept the budget is placed on the Town Board agenda to be voted on. The vote is largely symbolic since NYS Law mandates that the Town has a budget. Failure to approve the budget means that it becomes the budget without the support of the Town Board.
L-R Councilmen Creighton and WehrheimSo how did it happen that this all Republican Board did not support the Supervisor’s Budget? It pretty much boils down to communication or a lack of it. Since the campaign of 2013 there has been very little communication between the Supervisor and Coucilmen Creighton and Wehrheim. It was a messy election followed by Oathgate, followed by the $30,000 increase in the Deputy Supervisor’s stipend for 2014, and now a budget that according to Councilman Wehrheim “is more than a budget, it is the restructuring of Town departments and the way services are provided to the residents of Smithtown without any discussion or input from Council members.”
Wehrheim has concerns about the Supervisor’s plan to transfer Highway Department employees from their department to the Municipal Services Facility (MSF). “I am concerned about snow removal and the impact the proposed changes in leaf and brush pick-ups are going to have on the residents. I asked Superintendent of Highways Glenn Jorgensen if he had concerns about the proposal and he indicated that yes he did.” Councilman Wehrheim provided a copy of a memo on which all members of the Town Council signed their names seeking written assurances from Director of Environment and Waterways Russ Barnett, Supervisor of Municipal Services Facility Matthew Gorecki and Superintendent of Highways Glenn Jorgensen that they would work together for a smooth transition. According to Councilman Wehrheim not one of the named department heads has responded.
In addition to the structural changes, Wehrheim is not happy with the unannounced salary increases given to select employees which were part of the adopted amendments to the Proposed Budget Thursday evening. “I am not making a judgement call on whether or not they are warranted. I do believe they should have been part of the original budget and there should have been a discussion about it. Why give salary increases to people when they will be receiving two scheduled increases in January and July of next year?” Wehrheim supplied a copy of notification about the amendments received from Town Comptroller Louis Necroto. “This is the only notification, no discussion, no other information was provided.”
So how much how much have the salaries been increased and what was the justification for the increase? Councilman Wehrheim didn’t know. Presumably Councilwoman Nowick and Councilman Mc Carthy know as they both supported the budget amendment.
Without support from the Town Council Smithtown has a 2015 Budget.
*Town Comptroller Louis Necroto was not available at the time this article was written.