The Plattsburgh Common Council has rejected a revised five-year plan for the city.
Two weeks ago adoption of the revised plan for 2024 to 2029 was pulled from the agenda. At the time Mayor Chris Rosenquest explained said councilors wanted more time to review the plan.
As soon as the measure came up for council consideration Thursday, Ward 3 Democrat Elizabeth Gibbs cited a clause in the city charter that part of the council's duties include preparation of the plan.
“It was pulled from that agenda," Gibbs said. "We were not involved in creating that plan. We discussed it at the finance meeting last week. But this is not a plan that was created with council, so I’m not going to put my name on it because I wasn’t involved in actually making it. Second to that I think that it overestimates a number of categories going down the road and I don’t think it brings down the tax levy in a way that would be appropriate based on our ten and twenty percent increase in assessments. I think that we’re riding the backs of the taxpayers and I can’t support that.”
The mayor countered that Gibbs had asked for the delay.
“You asked for this report to be prepared," Rosenquest said. "It was prepared. It was provided and based on your conversations over email it was withdrawn to give you guys more time. I have not received any feedback, no changes, no recommended changes to it either other than the comments that you made at the finance meeting which were not ‘hey, let’s change this or that or the other thing.’ The council is allowed to make changes or recommended changes. I have received nothing from any councilor.”
Ward 2 Democrat Mike Kelly confirmed that councilors were asked at their last finance committee meeting whether they wanted to make any changes or additions to the plan.
“I think we sort of portray that this thing is not all that important and can wait and that’s not true," Kelly said. "This five-year plan is supposed to advise the mayors on preparing his annual budget. So it is urgent and it is also a very necessary part of city business.”
Ward 6 Democrat Jeff Moore sided with Gibbs, saying the plan is not a realistic forecast.
“This does not reflect accurately the revenues that we are expecting and the expenses are underestimated in my opinion," Moore said. "In commenting about getting input, last year I had input and it was disregarded. This year, no I don’t feel like I had a lot of input on this. I don’t feel I had any input.”
Councilors rejected the plan on a vote of three no, one yes, one abstention and one absent.
Later during new business Councilor Kelly chastised his peers for rejecting the plan.
“Without a five-year plan how are we going to make the budget? I’d like to see it come back and I’d like to see Councilor Gibbs resolve her differences with it and everybody else come to grips with what it is you want and let’s put it in there and let’s pass it," Kelly said. "It’s an important part of our operations. I imagine many years ago when they decided not to do a five-year plan anymore that it was in a scenario like this where the council could not agree on how to do a five-year plan. So I would hope we can continue to do that. It’s been helpful over the years.”
Speaking with WAMC Friday, Mayor Rosenquest said his focus now turns to the 2024 budget.
“When I look at budgeting for next year I’ll do the same thing as I did years previous. I will look back at the actuals that the city of Plattsburgh has produced and I’ll base my budget on that," the mayor said. "The five-year plan is a guiding document. I will review it. I’ll take into consideration some of the assumptions that are being made in it. But at this point I think my obligation to present a five-year plan to this council is done. I think I fulfilled that obligation. So if there are changes that are going to be made I will leave it up to them to make those changes.”
Plattsburgh Finance and Community Development meeting 6-8-23:
