01/06/2009 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Council Minutes of 1/6/2009 also will blame Council if you don't get your demands met. Shame on you too. The treasure chest is almost empty; we can't keep things as they are because we do not have any extra money. We have done away with departments, we have reduced hospitalization costs, and we have changed the way we do workers compensation. We need help from you and all of the employees for this City. I would like you to do one thing when you go home tonight. I want you to talk to your family, your friends and your neighbors who do not work for Government entities. Listen to them about how they didn't get a raise this year, a pay freeze for next year or how they haven't had raise for a while or they aze facing a reduced work week. How their out of pocket expenses towards benefits have increased. But also listen to them saying how lucky they are to have a job and would give up more to keep it and their benefits. I know I have at my business and so have many others. By the way, it was mentioned at the last Finance Committee meeting on the 23rd of December that a few of us on Council aze willing to return 5% of our 2009 salary minus taxes to show leadership and good faith providing everyone else does. The ma~or was quoted in a letter to the Finance Committee that was read at the December 13` , Saturday meeting, a meeting that he didn't attend, that a 5% pay cut across the board would prevent layoffs. Mayor, will you give back 5% of your 2009 salary to show leadership? These are the phone calls I am receiving, `please Councilman don't raise my taxes I can't afford it. I am having trouble making ends meet now.' So again I ask that all of you, administration and bargaining units please get together and let's save everyone's job. Lets reduce pay and give back on some things that in the past were a good idea. In today's market longevity and vacation buyback are some very expensive items that I see in the budget that are not offered in other jobs. You all know me pretty well and you know that I am not very political. I am just a guy who cares about this City and wants everyone to keep their job and have benefits. It is better to have a reduced income, lose some outdated benefits than to be unemployed? Believe me I know; I have collected unemployment myself. My vote is no." Roll call continued: Ryan, "On behalf of myself and Mr. Kennedy I vote no." President Kennedy said thank you. Roll call continued: Mahoney, no, with comment. "Reaching into the taxpayer wallet under financial circumstances should only be done and undertaken with grave caution and grave concern. Doing so in this manner without a vote of the people should be an absolute last resort, to echo the comments from Mr. Gareau. The proposal that we received is essentially a first option and it's being painted as being dire, that the city is in dire need of it. To make a decision to amend a piece of legislation and then adopt it of this significance in basically two hours, Mr. Mayor, is really unacceptable. I will not do that. As a city, I believe the administration, the Finance Director and Council through the budget process need to become more creative and look at other options. I'm well aware that other cities, notably North Royalton and Parma Heights, have in fact reduced their income tax credit. I don't believe that was well received by the city taxpayers as a whole, though I'm not absolutely positive of that. The amendment offered by the Mayor is just simply too little and too late, and so for those reasons my vote is no." Roll call continued: Jones, no, with comment. "Our State is facing a huge budget deficit, but yet there's been no mention of an increase in taxes for the residents of Ohio. Our federal government is obviously feeling the hurt and pain that our economy has caused them, but yet the current proposal on the table is to give a tax rebate to the citizens. Why is the city of North Olmsted's first and only option to go to our residents and increase their tax 24