Item 11 on the city council agenda was an order to appropriate $620,000 from the city’s free cash reserves to the Department of Public Services for snow and ice removal.
Ward 2 city councilor Charles Kronick issued a charter objection to the vote, which prompted a rebuttal from council President Peter Marchetti, who is running for mayor this year.
“End of fiscal year, June 30th," he told Kronick. "We cannot touch free cash until the state certifies free cash. And at that time, this $620,000 burden – and if you're going to charter object the rest of this stuff tonight – will go on the burden of the taxpayers in November when we set the tax rate, because it will need to be on our recap sheet and we'll need to pay for it then. So, we have the ability to pay for it with free cash, and then whatever the budget generates back for free cash goes back into free cash. If you want to make that charter objection- So, two things are going to happen. Number one, if you're the only one, the chair is going to declare a meeting for Friday, June 30th at 6pm so that we can abide by the law. If there's a second, then we're going to have to- We're all realizing what we're doing is that this is going on the recap sheet and it's going to impact the taxpayers.”
Kronick, who had already used a charter objection earlier in the evening on appointments to the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee, pushed back, claiming Mayor Linda Tyer’s free cash request came at the last minute and without adequate need.
“We have been giving emergency appropriations to the wastewater, $400,000 here, $400,000 there," he told Marchetti. "They've waived finance committees because they say we must have the money tomorrow, we don't have time to deliberate. But this has been- This is different, because they knew about this. And they wait to the very last minute, and I don't like that. And I don't think that- I don't think, and it’s not right to do it. It sounds fishy, frankly, and I'm going to stick to my charter objection. I agree that it is terribly uncomfortable. Now, and understand also this- Failure to plan on the part of the mayor does not form a crisis for the city council. This solely goes back onto the head of the mayor if it comes down and the negative impact on the taxpayer. Not on city council.”
“The chair calls for a meeting on June 30 at 6 p.m. council chambers to address the issue so that we can abide by the state law and not impact the taxpayer,” said Marchetti.
Kronick also charter objected the transfer of $75,000 from Retained Earnings Sewer to the Department of Public Utilities Wastewater Division, Sludge Handling, as well as an order transferring and appropriating $850,000 from free cash to the police department scheduled overtime.
Marchetti again pleaded with Kronick to reconsider.
“If we don't get here on Friday night, and we don't have a quorum, it's going on the backs of the taxpayers," said the council president. "And you can blame the administration, but this city council is the body that's refusing to act. So, if you would be so kind – hold on – if you would be so kind, if you would be so kind to reconsider, you can vote no on every single one of these appropriations.”
“Why do we even have a city council? Because we want to make sure these requests are validated," Kronick responded. "Nothing else. So yes, I want- We’ll meet on Friday and if people want this to be done according to the process that we expect, they will come here.”
Friday evening, the Pittsfield city council will once again take up all four votes that Kronick charter objected: the Wahconah Park Restoration Committee appointments, the use of $620,000 in free cash for snow and ice removal, the $75,000 from retained earnings for sludge handling, and the $850,000 in free cash for police department overtime.
Kronick told WAMC this month that he will not seek a second two-year term in this year’s election.
