City Council

/II A Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Hackensack was held at City Hall, 65 Central Avenue, Hackensack, N. J. , on Monday, April 27, 1992, at 7:00 P. M. The Mayor called the meeting to order and asked the Clty Clerk to call the roll. Present Mayor John F. Zisa, Deputy Mayor Sandra A. Robinson, Councilmen Mark A. Stein, Mauro A. Mecca and Roger B. Mattei, City Attorney Richard E. Salkin, City Manager James s. Lacava and City Clerk Doris L. Dukes I Mrs. Dukes: " Pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act, Chapter 23 1, Laws of 1975, adequate notice of this meeting was provided by sending a notice to the Record and posting a copy on the Bulletin Board in City Hall" . Mayor Zisa called upon Mr. Salkin to explain the purpose of the special meeting. Mr. Salkin explained the statutory requirements of the Mayor and Council due to a proposition ($28,688,489. ) before the voters which did not pass. The proposed school budget was delivered to the City Clerk the day after the Election which was within the statutory time limit. The consultation meeting was held with the Board on April 15th pursuant to statute. At this point the City Council must determine and certify the amount to be raised for a thorough and efficient education budget for the school, by April 28th. Mayor Zisa stated we need to specify the specific areas that are to be cut. He asked what is going on in Trenton. The City Attorney advised we must provide a resolution setting forth the budget by tomorrow . I The public. Mayor called for a motion to The Motion was offered by Robinson, seconded by open the meeting to the Mecca that the meeting be opened to the public. Carried Mayor Zisa asked if anyone wished to be heard and there was no response. Motion offered by Mattei, seconded by Stein that the public hearing be closed. Carried Mayor Zisa stated all members of Council have had an opportunity to review the budget. He asked members of Council if they had any comments. Councilman Stein said all board members who attended the meeting were of the same opinion. They did not want to cut programs. He said he would like to consider the section on · sabbatical leave, Account #23 09. The Board requested $100,000. 00, and would like to reduce this amount to $50,000. 00. Dr. Mecca asked why consider any money at all, if tha Board I does not have sabbaticals. Mr. Stein said it's really medical as defined by the state. Technically, a sabbatical is accrued sick leave. Mr. Mattei said he agrees with Mr. Kruse that programs should not be cut any further and after carefully going through the budget suggested line item 2702- 250 Unemployment Insurance Compensation for $100,000. 00 be reduced by $25,000. 00. He said the proposed increase is not supported by any historical trend. Mayor Zisa agreed, based on the last couple of years. Mayor Zisa recommended a cut of $50,000. 00 out of. the lateral incontinency account /lcZ- Deputy Mayor Robinson said, since there are 21 positions that wil l retire from the system and June is al ready here. She suggested a reduction in the one and one hal f mil l ion dol l ar surpl us. Council man Stein advised that the surpl us for next year is not one and one-hal f mil l ion dol l ars, but $775,000. 00. There was a discussion about the 1. 5 mil l ion dol l ar surpl us figure. The Mayor said there has never been a mil l ion dol l ar figure. I Mr. Stein stated the avail abl e bal ance as of June 3 0, 1992 is 1. 75 mil l ion. They wil l util ize some of this money for next year's budget. Ms. Robinson then suggested cutting $75,000. 00 of the $775,000 surpl us. She said she does not know that this is the bottom l ine figure. Mr. Stein said it is not good to take money out of surpl us. in case of emergencies. Ms. Robinson said we're tring to take some money from the overal l budget. She said she is not interested in deal ing with what coul d be. She recommended a $15,000. 00 cut in principal services . Mayor Zisa said the surpl us is the l owest amount the school budget ever had. Mr. Stein stated prior to school el ections, al l capital projects were bonded by the City. Capital projects must now come out of the surpl us. Dr. Mecca stated this City Council is facing an impossibl e I task. 11 The Board of Education gave away the store in negotiating the sal aries that they did. We are in a no win situation. We l ost the battl e when the teachers got the raises. 11 He appl auded the increases negotiated by Mr. Sachais for the teachers. He said we are seeing tax appeal s and we cannot afford the increases given to the teachers. He said he condemns the Board of Education for their fundamental fail ure. Dr. Mecca suggested el iminating the position of Assistant to the Superintendent of School s and these duties be taken over by general administration. Mayor Zisa pointed out that the position has al ready been cut and advised Dr. Mecca, had he attended the hearing with the Board of Education he woul d have known some of the things he spoke about this evening. The Mayor tol d Dr. Mecca that he did not speak until the reporter came and wondered what his motives were. He said we are to consider l ine items. Dr. Mecca said when he was pol l ed by the City Manager's office he advised them he woul d not be avail abl e on the 15th. He said he coul d not be hel d accountabl e for meetings that are hel d without proper notice and tol d the Mayor that he was probabl y very happy he was not present. Dr. Mecca said he resented the comments the Mayor made about his not speaking until the reporter came, adding he does not tel l the reporter what to write. Mayor Zisa tol d Dr. Mecca that in no way was he happy that he was not at the consul tation meeting. He stated Dr. Mecca had an opportunity to contact members of the City Council and chose not to. I Dr. Mecca al so recommended a $10,000. 00 cut from the Middl e School Camping trip and $15,000. 00 from the vocational budget (Industrial Arts Program).  //3 Mayor Zisa stated he was not sure that a portion of the trip could be cut and was opposed to cuts in programs. He is distressed about the programs already cut to get the budget where it is He said the music program at the high school had to be eliminated to meet the CAP. He recommended the amount of cuts be decreased so that the music person could be re-hired for the high school. Hr. Mattei asked would it be appropriate for a certian amount of the $50,000. 00 cut·tto be reallocated to music. I Mr. Salkin advised the resolution must show the cuts and did not know if the money can go back in the budget, but it could be stated. Mayor Zisa said he was against cutting additional programs. He asked the Board of Education why the one vote against the budget and was advised it was due to concern over program cuts which could not be Gndorsed. Mr. Mattei recommended a $25,000. 00 cut in the area of substitute teachers and aides. Dr. Mecca asked what happens if someone gets ·sick. Mr. Mattei said we are not cutting the entire budget. The meeting recessed at 8:10 P. M. to allow Mr·. Salkin to identify account numbers and reconvened at 8:23 P. M. After much discussion, Mayor Zisa called for a .vote on the following cuts recommended: Councilman Stein - $50,000. 00 - Sabbatical leaves Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson, Stein, Mattei, Zisa I Nay - Mecca Councilman Mattei - $25,000. 00 - Unemployment Compensation Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson, Stein, Mattei, Zisa Nay - Mecca Mayor Zisa - $50,000. 00 - Lateral Contingencies Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson, Stein, Mattei, Zisa Nay - Mecca Councilman Mecca - $75,000. 00 - Assistant to Superintendent Roll Call: Ayes - Mecca, Robinson Nays - Stein, Mattei, Zisa Councilman Mecca - $10,000. 00 - Middle School Camp Program-Outdoor Education #1-5-1103.43 Roll Call: Ayes - Mecca, Robinson Nays - Stein, Mattei, Zisa Councilman Mecca - $15,000. 00 - High school Industrial Arts Program I Roll Call: Ayes - Mecca, Robinson Nays - Stein, Mattei, Zisa Councilman Mattei - $25,000. 00 - Substitute Teachers - Aides #2703 Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson, Stein, Mattei, Zisa Nay - Mecca Deputy Mayor Robinson - $15,000. 00 - Principal Services #2401 Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson  Nays - Mecca, Stein, Mattei, Zisa Deputy Mayor Robinson - $75,000. 00 - Surplus Roll Call: Ayes - Robinson Nays - MEcca, Stein, Mattei, Zisa The meeting recessed at 9:45 to allow the City Attorney and Municipal Clerk time to prepare the resolution on the cuts to certify the amount to be raised by taxation for school purposes. The meeting reconvened at 10:20 P. M. The Mayor called the meeting to order and City Clerk read the following resolution: Resolution #141 OFFERED BY: STEIN SECONDED BY: MATTEI I WHEREAS, on the 7th day of April, 1992, the Board of Education of the City of Hackensack, County of Bergen and State of New Jersey, submitted the following proposition to the legal voters of the City: LOCAL TAX LEVY "RESOLVED, that there be raised by District Taxes for current expenses for the school year 1992-93 , the sum of $28,688,489. 00"; and WHEREAS, the proposition was defeated by the electorate of the City of Hackensack and, pursuant to N. J. S. A. 18A:22-3 7, the school budget has been submitted to the Mayor and Council of the City of Hackensack; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the 9ity of Hackensack did, on April 15, 1992, engage in constlltation� with the Board of Education of the City of Hackensack td1 -revfew the proposed budget I as presented to the Mayor and Council, as required by law; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council of the City of Hackensack have had the opportunity to review the aforesaid proposed budget and have caused an analysis of and report, regarding same to be conducted and prepared; and WHEREAS, as set forth below, a number of proposed appropriations contained in the aforesaid budget appear to be set forth at levels higher than the recent historical trend of spending ' in each of the categories would ju.stify ( a:nd WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council are of the opinion that reductions in the proposed budget in these non-student program categories could be set at a level _totaling $150,000. . ..,.- If 00, including - a reduction in the budget designation ·"Lateral and Contin'gency" Salary Fund under general heading 2701. 00 in the amount of $50,000. 00 and the Council would yet be in a position to certify hereby that the amount necessary to provide a thorough and efficient education in the City of Hackensack is being fixed hereby; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and· Council are aware of the many significant reductions made by the Board of Education during the I budgetary preparation process, including actual student program cuts; and WHEREAS, the Mayor and Council specifically note the total elimination of the vocal music program for our high school students (program designation 1105. 12) to affect a savings of $40,000. 00. The Council further notes that an expenditure of $40,000. 00 represents 9/10,000 of the total appropriations contained in the proposed budget; stated another way, $40, 000. 00 represents less than 1/6 of one tax point; and  /Is WHEREAS, it is t he belief and percept ion of t he Mayor and Council t hat t he value of t he cult ural and educat ional ,benefit t o t he Hackensack High School st udent s who part icipat e in t he program far out dist ances t he miniscule savings afforded by t his cut : and ' WHEREAS, t he Mayor and Council would prefer t o forbear from reducing It em 2702 " Lat eral and Cont ingency" Salary Fund by t he full amount of $50,000. 00 and inst ead, chose hereby t o st rongly recommend t hat t his forbearance be t ranslat ed int o t he rest orat ion of t he " vocal music" program by t he Board of Educat ion in it s t operat ive budget : NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by t he Mayor and Counci1 of t he Cit y of Hackensack t hat t he following amount be cert ified t o t he Bergen Count y Board of Taxat ion, t he Bergen Count y Superint endent of Schools, t he Board of Educat ion of t he Cit y of Hackensack as being t he amount necessary t o be appropriat ed for t he aforement ioned it em (s) appearing in t he budget t o provide a t horough and efficient syst em of schools in t he dist rict and t hat t he amount shall be raised by t axat ion for school purpo�es for t he school year 1992-1993 : CURRENT EX PENSES Original Amount : $28,688,489. 00 Amount of Reduct ions: 11011 000. 00 Amount Cert ified by Governing Body: 28, 578. 489. 00 and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED t hat t he reduct ion(s) t o t he current expenses and t he support ing reasons t herefor be as follows: I 1. Program designat ion 27_0.2. 00-112 Lat eral and C�n�ingency Salaries: $110 t 000 00 • I Support ing reason: Proposed increase not support ed by hist orical t rend. _ 2. Program designat ion 23 09. 00-140 Salaries - Sabbat ical (Leaves of Absence) : 50,000. 00 Support ing reasons: Proposed increase not support ed by hist orical t rend. 3. Program designat ion 2703 . 00-120 and 121: "Salaries Temporary Aides" (Subst it ut e Teachers & Aides) : 25,000. 00 Support ing reasons: Proposed increases not support ed by hist orical t rend ' 4. Program designat ion 2702. 00- 250 " Unemployment Insurance": 25,000.00 Support ing reasons: Proposed increase not support ed by hist orical t rend. and ' BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED t hat t he Cit y Clerk be an,d hereby is aut horized and direct ed t o send a cert ified copy of t his resolut ion to t he Bergen Count y Board of Taxat ion, t he Bergen Count y I Superint endent of Schools, t he Board of Educat ion of t he Cit y of Hackensack and t he Tax Assessor of t he C�t y of Hackensack. Roll Call: Ayes - St ein, Mat t ei, Zisa Nay - Mecca, Robinson /16 A motion was offered by Robinson and seconded by Stein to adjourn the meeting Before voting the following comments were made: Dr. Mecca said the City Council faced a difficult task. We were given a document to cut and it was very difficult. The Board did a very bad job in negotiating with the teachers union and it was not in the best interest of the citizens of Hackensack. The Board fumbled when they did not attempt to regionalize. The administrative staff should have been pared down. The cuts that were made are not going to do much for the taxpayers and students. Mr. Stein said we were put in a difficult situation. left with very little time to make cuts. other schools were attempted but failed. We were Regionalization with t Mr. Mattei said the areas the City Council chose to cut were not program related and will not affect the children learning. The areas cut have enough left that they can still function. The City Council met its responsibility. Mayor Zisa said Dr. Mecca gave inaccurate information and yet he voted against non program cuts to make a political statement. He did not feel this is the forum or the time to make statements. The document clearly indicates an increase in enrollment. Deputy Mayor Robinson said this same type of action took place last year. We are all here for the same reason. The decision has been made and we need to go on. Roll Call: (to adjourn) Ayes - Mecca, Robinson, Stein, Mattei Zisa t ATTEST: �4o<?� CITY CLERK'- t