WESTFIELD – Following a four-hour budget review on Wednesday which yielded no consensus on cuts, Mayor Brian P. Sullivan’s $127 million operating budget for fiscal year 2019 passed intact at a Special City Council meeting on Thursday, 9-4 on two votes, with Councilors Daniel Allie, Matthew Emmershy, David Flaherty and Andrew K. Surprise dissenting.
At-Large Councilor Dan Allie
Finance committee chairman Allie brought the motion to approve the budget before opening it up to discussion.
Flaherty said he would not vote for the budget, and hoped that other councilors wouldn’t either. He said going forward; he hopes to see a multi-year budget presented to the council before the end of the fiscal year.
Emmershy said the way things stand, there will be a 2.5% tax increase and a 3% increase in assessed value on top of that, totaling a 5.5% increase. He called Wednesday’s meeting “a three ring circus,” and said the Finance committee did its due diligence.
Surprise repeated his comment that the budget process is broken, which he said was one of the reasons he proposed charter changes to the budget process. He was referring to eleven motions he made at the June 21 meeting recommending changes to the charter, which were tabled until the meeting of July 5.
Westfield City Council President Brent B. Bean, II. (WNG File Photo)
At-large Councilor Brent B. Bean, II said no cuts passed because the Finance committee wasn’t able to build a consensus around any cut. “It is a real issue for me. We have a real responsibility; not only to residents, but to provide services,” Bean said, adding, “The Council didn’t support the budget cuts because they weren’t explained.”
“I’ve attended every single budget meeting since February, and I’ve been very respectful,” said At-large Councilor Cindy C. Harris, adding that she had supported everything the Finance committee has brought to the floor of the Council. Harris said she has been a clear and thoughtful advocate for residents for years, and said on Wednesday that she supported the budget because it was well-thought out and thoroughly vetted.
City Councilor Cindy C. Harris
“Nobody’s happy with how it went,” commented Council President John J. Beltrandi, III.
Allie said the only cuts put forth were from the Finance committee, and questioned why not a single councilor was asked if they had any cuts. He said the current members had “zero years of experience” on the Finance committee. “I’ve never even been on it,” he said, adding it was “a tall order” for a committee with no experience.
Allie also said he appreciated the work the Mayor did on the budget, and also the councilors that “showed up” to the Finance committee meetings. “I do applaud everybody’s effort. It shouldn’t be personal. Thank you everybody,” he said.
