Montclair?s Capital Finance Committee (CFC) called town manager Marc Dashield unwilling to cooperate. Then member John Reichman of the CFC committee and Dashield exchanged barbs at last council meeting. Now the Concerned Citizens of Montclair have retained legal counsel to deal with the council and town manager?s unwillingness to work with the CFC as well as the Operating Budget Advisory Committee (OBAC).
Here?s the resolution regarding the Capital Finance Committee ? check out the section on the CFC ?duties.? This morning, Councilor Cary Africk sends this statement:
For the entire term of this Council I have championed the need for fiscal responsibility, accountability, and transparency.
I thought this was a ?mom and apple pie issue.? Who could not be in favor?
I was wrong. Some people, even elected officials, just can?t be bothered.
One of my first goals after the 2008 Municipal Election was the re-establishment of the Capital Finance Committee (CFC). My Resolution to do this was passed within three weeks of this Council taking office.The Committee had operated for decades prior to this Council and performed valuable, and valued, service.
After the June 2008 Resolution, one of the Committee?s first tasks was a comprehensive review of the entire debt of the Township. It was a painfully slow process as it took the town staff, and the township auditors, almost six months to answer the question: ?How much debt does the township have??
The numbers were shocking. Aside from the size of the total debt, in excess of $225MM, the analysis also showed Montclair among the leaders in the state in the use of short term debt, which can be rolled over year after year with no principle pay down.
Upon the Committee?s urging the town hired a financial consultant who agreed with the Committee to refinance a large portion of the debt, including the short term debt, thus saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Working with the Committee he also recommended that the Town ?stop spending money? in order to bring the debt under control.
Another initial report from the Capital Finance Committee dealt with the Council?s planned $3.5MM purchase of a building for a Senior Center, and the hiring of additional personnel to staff it. While recognizing the potential purchase as an ?opportunity,? the Committee lamented the lack of a ?needs? analysis, as well as a full financial projection. But bottom line, they said there was no way the Town could afford the project.
Indeed, Marc Dashield, who had just arrived in Montclair, supported the Committee?s recommendation by explaining to the Council, ?You just don?t have the money.? I was the sole Councilor opposing the purchase, and to this day some, ignoring financial reality, bear a grudge towards the Capital Finance Committee for ?killing the Senior Center.?
Over the years he Committee has valiantly tried to carry out its charge, as listed in the July 22 2008 Resolution creating it.
We are now at a point where for the second year in a row the Town, without seeking any help from the Committee, is trying at the 11th hour to put together the specifics of the Capital Budget. With little study, things like $500,000 for garbage trucks are being proposed, as does $2.1MM for street projects and bike lanes. The Committee is putting down its foot, demanding analysis, data, and explanation. This is supposed to be a Capital BUDGET. Completing the 2011 BUDGET in December 2011 is not PLANNING. And this was exactly what was done in 2010: completing the 2010 Capital Budget in December 2010.
The Town is resisting the Committee?s efforts. This is not surprising as overall the Town resists financial planning. Members of the Council have dismissed the Town?s own Operating Budget Advisory Committee, as well as the highly competent Concerned Citizens of Montclair. Now members of the Council are also trying now to dismiss the Capital Finance Committee, and the Manager is asking the Council to find a different role for the Committee.
The Town resists because the numbers are frightening.
But ignoring ?bad news? doesn?t make ?bad news? better.
This past June the Township Attorney lamented to me that although he had prepared detailed spreadsheets of the coming tax appeal tsunami, no one was interested in looking at it. At the next Council meeting I asked him to outline the numbers. The Mayor, and others, insisted I was ?out of order.? I persisted.
He then reported at least $4MM in tax refunds and credits. He was also forecasting ?more.? At that Council meeting I was the only one alarmed, with the Mayor and Town Manager saying ?we won?t ?really? know the exact number until December.? As if ?only? $4MM is inconsequential.
We know now that our tax refunds and credits are already in excess of $6MM, not $4MM. And we also know there is still MORE in the pipeline. Another $1MM. Likely more.
I don?t buy the excuse that forecasting and planning are ?impossible.? I don?t consider voicing my concern ?ranting and raving,? as Councilor Lewis suggested. I can it my duty to the taxpayers.
We know how to calculate things.
We can plan. We must plan. It?s the responsible thing to do. And dismissing the Capital Finance Committee is like throwing away the thermometer when you have a fever, hoping you?ll be eventually cured.
Cary Africk
2nd Ward Councilor
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