The City of Troy, New York, "Where Henry Hudson Turned Around."

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

DE JAVU

ALL OVER AGAIN.

According to Times Union reporter Ken Crowe II, the New York State Comptroller's Office may be back in Troy.

"The city faces the return of state control of its finances because of a potential $2.4 million deficit in its proposed $68.6 million budget for 2016, according to review by the State Comptroller's Office.
The audit criticizes the city for overestimating revenues for the sale of property, franchise and ambulance fees and sales tax. It notes the city's retirement appropriations may be inadequate.

"The overestimation of these revenues and underestimation of expenditures could have a cumulative negative impact of approximately $2.4 million on the general fund's financial condition," the audit states.

City officials received the audit Tuesday. It is filed with the City Clerk's Office.

"We've got to be monitoring the situation very carefully," Mayor Lou Rosamilia said.

"This is an excellent guideline for it," he said of the audit's recommendations and observations."

Monitoring the situation? Guideline? Less than sixty days in office and time to pull out the stops?

Of course, Rosamilia doesn't shoulder all the blame. We have a city council that could act as a watch dog. The prior administration depleted the reserve fund by approximately $12,000,000 in order to avoid the inevitable problems. Lou almost finished the job of emptying the fund. This is why slight tax increases should be considered even when not absolutely necessary. A 1% or 1.5% increase every year sure beats a 9.3% increase in one year.

Ya' know what? We're almost happy DiNapoli might take over. If that's what it takes, if we need a babysitter, so be it.

To be fair, and we're nothing but fair, it is not solely the fault of elected officials. the residents of old, industrial cities of the northeast need to take an honest look at the facts. Generous pensions, health benefits, cost of living increases and the debt service comprises more than 70% of the budget. Couple that with not actually knowing what will be in the municipal coffers when the budget is proposed and we get a guesstimate, at best.

Given the problem, we welcome State oversight. If our administrations can't do it, maybe Tommy D can.

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

Complete democratic rule. Mayors office and city council and what do you get? Spin it anyway you want but this was the worst administration and council in city history. HG4YN

Anonymous said...

Love Rodney's "i told you so" in the article. Still doesn't have a clue that he played a part in this. And this clown could have been the mayor.

Anonymous said...

When you start an all democratic rule in the hole left from the mist corrupt administration ever, this is what you get

Anonymous said...

Correct. It's going to take more than four years to fix Harry's gross incompetence.

Anonymous said...

UFA ALL THE WAY! Give us your cash, suckers!

Anonymous said...

Harry left office with a balanced budget and money in the reserves. Remember, he left office with more money in the reserve than what was there when he took office. Spin it anyway you want but the fact remains under democratic rule they're miserable failures. Only hope is maybe Madden will listen to his sister and appoint some republicans to save the city.

Anonymous said...

Troy just hit an iceberg and your telling everyone that we just stopped to pick up some ice. FIREMEN that's where we need to go for some savings. The gravy train is over. Close a station get ride of ambulances and overtime.

Anonymous said...

Not true. Harry played a shell game and spent 12,000,000 of the reserve to cover his no tax increase policies. Sorry, numbers don't lie. Nice try.

Mark left in good shape, Harry used the savings to look good. Lou left holding the bag. Harry did not leave more in the reserve than he found. You are a liar or ignorant. Take your pick.

Looks like Troy voters really trust the Republicans. When is mayor Gordon getting sworn in? How's Harry doing in the county legislature.

Anonymous said...

Saying troopers daughter over and over isn't proof. Do you have anything resembling proof? Like a 911 call or an affidavit from this person?

If not, you can say troopers daughter, sheriff's wife, hold me down, whatever. Still got nothing. Facts is, Dunne has outsmarted his detractors at every turn. Try again and you'll fail, as usual. Lets see, Harry loses two straight elections, Mirch gone, Crawley sucking the teat at the THA (his term is up soon, heard Dunne gets that)Gordon gone, Wiltshire gone...Dunne, still working for the citizens of Troy.

Anonymous said...

Not only will you NOT take anything away from us, you will hire MORE of us to SAVE money.
You're too easy.
UFA ALL THE WAY

Anonymous said...

Your right Bill give'em hell. It is perfectly plausible and It happens every day that a person leaves a well-paid state job with incredible benefits and retirement to pursue his lifelong dream of installing home theaters. It is also perfectly plausible after a person explains to his bosses that he would like to leave to pursue his dream that they ask him to sign the separation agreement stating that said person will never apply for a job at the state again and will stay off said property. The people at the state in high office can't let the wonderful world of home theater installation keep taking their top people. There has to be an end and the people in the home theater world will pay.

Anonymous said...

Who mentioned the troopers daughter? And as far as the reserves Harry used the majority of it to pave the city. Did you think he would leave what he built up for you fools to squander? Should be a big day on the blog, Bill's got another day off. HG4YN

Anonymous said...

Bill please tell us all who had a better night last night. Harrys dinosaur or your bombers? You outsmarted your detractors on that one brother.

Anonymous said...

No one is saying he didn't leave. Didn't sign a separation agreement. No one is saying something didn't happen. Are you stupid or just pretending? The agreement has been posted on various sites. It doesn't say he will not apply for state jobs. DASNY is not a state agency, dipshit. It doesn't say he won't go on DASNY property. It doesn't say why there was a separation either. That's all I'm saying. You have proof of anything, show it. Otherwise, get a life.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Harry, for raiding all those reserve funds for years and handing out raises the city couldn't afford. You handed a ticking time bomb to the next administration, and then laughed all the way to the county tit jobs Jimino created for you and your wife. Oh yes, what a tremendous fiscal steward you were. A mayor who couldn't even pay his own taxes and was slapped with a state tax warrant. Pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Ohhhh it's Harry math! Sorry, no. Get back to "work" Harry, before Kathy slaps your chubby little hands with a ruler.

Anonymous said...

Remember when Harry raided the water and sewer funds? Good times. Kept our taxes down.

Anonymous said...

The deficit is squarely on the shoulders of the obstructionists on the city council who voted down the Scolite project. Blame Wiltshire, Zalewski, Robertson and the Republicans for this short sighted defeat as well as others that would have generated revenue.
Rodney and Kenny shouldn't be allowed to slither out of this mistake.

Anonymous said...

Placing blame at this point is useless. We have a new mayor and council. We need to see them work together and rein in some of this quickly. We need to see a long-term plan and start digging out from under.

Tax warrants, who did what 10 years ago, 911 calls, doesn't lower my tax bill.

Anonymous said...

Yes, democratic rule was so miserable the voters just elected another Dem mayor. Nice try. The voters remembered what a disaster Harry was and how he got us where we are today. How badly did Jim Gordon just get his ass kicked? I heard the poor guy is going to leave town he's so embarrassed.

Anonymous said...

Amen 8:47. This constant dem versus rep rehashing is useless and frankly boring as hell. At this point who cares how we got here, we are here and we need concrete ideas on how to move forward. We have a new mayor and council, we elected smart people, let's support them and move forward. Post solutions not ancient history.

Anonymous said...

Bill when you post minutes apart we know it's you.

Anonymous said...

All I know is that of all the election predictions, Democratus and some commenters nailed it. Others, Franco included were jokes. This is the site I go to. The others suck.

Can we call them Boobs said...

8:40

No Jimino job for Harry, Crist owns him.
His wife aksed Jimino for help and got it, cause Jimino is so MEAN to the Troy GOP.

Dr. Lovejoy said...

Yes, she did. Kathy has done a lot of good charity work.

Anonymous said...

Harry built the reserve fund now? Did he also invent fire and the wheel? Or do you honestly believe Harry built the whole reserve fund

Anonymous said...

Kevin. Slow day at nimo? Please tell us all about triple net leases next.

Anonymous said...

It's quiet, too quiet.

Phana24JG said...

Four years and four budgets later it's still Harry's fault??? Some of you folks sound like the apologists for Obama. Even if the assertions about his fiscal stewardship are true(my guess is the truth resides somewhere in-between), how does that excuse four years of doing nothing to address it? I get that blame Lou is not the complete answer, he clearly did not have a stellar Council to work with, especially over the past two years.

However, 8.47 and 9.02 nailed it, who fucking cares? Yes, identifying mistakes is essential to avoid repeating them, but we have to play the hand we are dealt. Serious and substantial cuts are a sine qua non, and revenues must be increased. Think tax exempt status and ways to LEGALLY raise revenues. They do exist.

Anonymous said...

At gear field

Guy Fawkes said...

I'm with Phana. The city is so destitute that they did not even celebrate my day last Thursday. It's a sad day when Troy can't afford to burn the pope in effigy.

Anonymous said...

Montgomery Civil Supreme
Index Number: 000118/2011
Case Name: NATIONAL BUILDING & RESTORATION CORP. vs. MCCASHION BROTHERS HOLDING COMPANY
Case Type: Contract
Track: Standard


Anonymous said...

Court: Albany Civil Supreme
Index Number: 003169/2012
Upstate Index Number: 3169-12
Case Name: Maguera-Torres vs. McCashion Bros.
Case Type: Commercial Div-Insurance Cases
Track: Complex
RJI Filed: 02/15/2013
Upstate RJI Number: 01-13-109302
Date NOI Due:
NOI Filed: 04/04/2013
Disposition Date: 08/20/2013
Calendar Number:
Jury Status: Jury Trial
Justice Name: RICHARD M. PLATKIN
Settled

Anonymous said...

Court: Albany City Court
Index Number: CV-000651-10/AL
Case Name: Capital One Bank (USA) N.A. vs. McCashion, Kevin A
Case Type: Civil
Classification: Consumer Credit
Filing Date: 02/26/2010
Disposition Date: 04/06/2012
Calendar Number:
Jury Demand: No

Anonymous said...

Court: Albany City Court
Index Number: CV-002974-11/AL
Case Name: Albany Management Incorporated vs. McCashion, Kevin A.
Case Type: Civil
Classification: Consumer Credit
Filing Date: 11/21/2011
Disposition Date: 04/16/2012
Calendar Number:
Jury Demand: No

Anonymous said...

Ouch!

Anonymous said...

What's worse, a tax warrant or an arrest warrant? And the bigger question, will the perp take full blame or does he Kevin McGrath it? I thought it was BS myself but it's real.

Lowell Thomas said...

If it's real, who is it, know-it-all. I'd McGrath it. But not buying it. More BS

Anonymous said...

Boy Bill I guess you spent the day on Google. Let me guess no calls from Pat again? Where at 51 days big boy. Guess he's not taking Toms call either. That's not good.

Anonymous said...

Well, that really helps the homeowner. No one gives a shit about your petty little squabbles. Democratus, DO SOMETHING! Make it stop. I want to hear from Phana and Guy Fawkes and some others. No more Cocks, McCasswipe, Dunne, Cooper and all the rest.

Anonymous said...

And you!

Anonymous said...

When is HG4YN getting his Mayor Gordon tattoo?

Anonymous said...

Bill Dunne, you must be a logical, intelligent, vocal critict of the old city hall gang, they like to embellish and in some cases just blatantly lie about those people who call them out for the pigs they are. I see it in the comment section of this blog all the time. Those pathetic pigs try to deflect the criticism by attacking the messenger, even though the message is usually 100% on point. They all have a special place in hell waiting for them for the way they treated people. Harry, Crawley, Crist, Murch, Pirro, the whole bunch of unelectables still trying to be relevant

Anonymous said...

For the record, when Harry posts on this blog that he despises every day telling us all what a great Mayor he was, well some of us have to point out the obvious bullshit.

Anonymous said...

It's like small minds watching a baseball game and their team loses. It's the umps fault, or the field was a mess or the coach sucks. Your mayor and council drove the city into the ground. Bitter pill but face it, they're loses. HG4YN

Phana24JG said...

This is getting interesting. One councilman is already on record to oppose any tax increase beyond the tax-cap limit (around 2.2% depending on the accounting creativity. I know most localities need a super majority to exceed the cap limit but there are exceptions, and because of the MAC oversight, we may be one. Cuts alone cannot possibly be acceptable to meet the shortfall, and I dare not say what the necessary tax increases would be with little or no spending cuts. Merry Christmas Mayor Madden, Council Prez Mantello, and all the new Council people. This is a gift that will keep on giving.

Anonymous said...

Which Mayor? The previous deviant who's mistakes we are still paying for, or the good guy who appears to have gotten in way over his head. If your going to bash Lou yet give your boy Harry a free pass, well that proves your ignorance and your shallow transparency. Did your Mayor Gordon tattoo heal yet

Anonymous said...

Wow, McCashless has left a LOT of people unsatisfied. And not just women!

Anonymous said...

Yikes Harry must have had the day off today. Ed Mac's tattoo says "VINDICATED" and Harry's says "REJECTED". Heard Jim Gordon's getting the same one.

Justin Miter said...

First of all, the ambulance service provides enough revenue to cover its own staffing and that of an engine company and 1 1/2 truck companies. So getting rid of it would hurt taxpayers more than help. Not to mention the drastically reduced response times and increased adanced life support care to residents over private ambulance services.

Second, I made a little over 40k last year, including all this massive amounts of OT I supposedly rake in. While certainly better than minimum wage, I hardly think that qualifies as a "gravy train" for a highly skilled position. To be perfectly honest, my salary was so low my first few years on the job that I qualified for food stamps had I chose to apply for them. Troy is one of the busiest AND lowest paid departments in the entire state.

Third, overtime only exists to fill our bare-bones staffing levels. Levels that are far below those suggested by NFPA and OSHA standards.

But I suspect your TRUE resentment lies is the fact that most of us actually love our jobs. Each day gives me the opportunity adrenaline rushes, excitement, many ways to make a difference in the lives of residents, the chance to be responsible for saving another's life, and to be my daughter's hero. While the work is tough, the educational standards never ending and always increasing, missing every holiday and all of my daughter's firsts, and knowing it will never make me rich... I still love the job and deeply enjoy providing a vital service to my city and neighborhood.

I'm sorry that seems to bother you so much. I'll stand by for your obviously biased and factually incorrect accusations now.

Anonymous said...

Harry's gross....period!
.......Raoul Duke

Anonymous said...

Now, that's just not right, a sack is a useful item.
......... Cavin Spaulding FACS

Anonymous said...

Bill you kill me. "The guy who appears to have gotten in way over his head". It was you foot on his head. Still no calls? It's become public knowledge that he's not talking to Tom about you either. The team is being picked and your like the chubby milk toast kid at the end of the line who doesn't get pick. His sister is also in his ear and the council will not under any circumstances consider a yes vote for you. Even worse the soon to be announced new city council Pro tempore is responsible for your one week suspension. You got the mayor you hoped for but everything and I mean everything is lined up against you. Or so you think? It time to take some personal responsibility for your actions and bow out like a man. It's over. You have 50+ days sunshine.

Anonymous said...

Always with the hero bs.

Anonymous said...

and they truly believe it. Are we have ribs or sauce for dinner tonight?

Larry Johnson said...

Funny In The Real world Any one who is fiscally correct has a deal in place to sell and rebuild a building that He Demolishes Only in the Clinically and Politically Induced World of Troy Could The Tax payers not be rioting in the streets
I also Might Add That the Troy Police Chief Johnny Boy Tedesco Had His Men protect these morons from the Tax payers doing a public lynching of these destroyers of Democracy so he can wallow in his juices PS he wants to stay on till 2019 so he can retire @ Full Benefits himself
If The Troy PD Told these Criminals That There on there own if they don't follow the Constitution which Every Troy PD Officer Took and Oath to Protect the tax payer not to hep the politicians Pick There Pockets we might be on better financial footing
Also you have Bill Chamberlain who is going to hang on as long as he can for the Cash Payout when leaving PS he never lifted a finger to reverse any of these problems coming down the pike
Good Luck Troylets Your going to need it !~~!

Anonymous said...

Ill take 'Nuts in Tree's' for $200 Alex

Anonymous said...

Now that's funny 6:09. That Cox guy is freakin crazy. Is he the Bozo that runs that shithole on River St?

Anonymous said...

Harry's Dinosaur? Is he also part owner of that, as well as a lawyer, real estate tycoon, auto body mechanic, founder of the Capitol district hulk hogan fan club, connasure of fine foods (cheeseburgers) weight watchers success story, the before picture in all exercise before after pictures, jabba the huts stand in, and he walks in water

Anonymous said...

10:25 I'm sure your the same moron who was telling us that Gordon was s lock to win the election, now your obsessing about whether or not Bill Dunne is keeping his job, why? Mcgetsnoassclown