To the Editor:

I share my comments about the recent City Council election in Ogdensburg as well as thoughts about the proposed 2022 budget for the city by letter since some points are not pertinent to City Council affairs, and I am not sure I could make them within the five minutes allowed the public when offering comments at City Council meetings.

I offer thanks to the eight citizens who offered themselves as candidates in the recent City Council elections. It takes courage to run for public office, especially in the current political environment in Ogdensburg. I join others in also expressing thanks and admiration to the candidates in the manner they answered questions and offered opinions at the debate before the election, your conduct and respect for one another and the community were admirable. Thanks also to Joe Sovie for organizing the debate, job well done.

Before commenting on the 2021 election, I harken back to the 2019 City Council election. I think an objective person would find the voters in the city sent a strong message to City Hall in overwhelmingly electing (by write-in, no less) Mayor Skelly and Councillors Dillabough, Fisher and Rishe. Certainly, the promise of a significant cut in property taxes was a factor in their election, perhaps a level of dissatisfaction with city government at the time was also a factor, but I can see where the newly elected believed they had a mandate.

Fast forward to the 2021 election. Speaking again from the perspective of an objective person, I believe the re-election of Councillors Kennedy, Powers and Skamperle by a significant margin also sends a message to City Hall. I think the message is that many voters are concerned about the actions by current council over the past two years. Among these actions:

1. The way City Council chose a new city manager once they placed Sarah Purdy on administrative leave for insubordination because she sought legal opinion pertaining to direction by City Council to reduce police staffing (an action an independent arbitrator ruled was a violation of the city charter).

2. The significant reduction (by 37%) in public safety employees over two years if the staffing included in the City Manager’s proposed 2022 budget is adopted. I think the community is concerned about the impact on our safety, not only based on decisions to date but fear there is more to come over the next two years.

3. The commentary in social media by the City Manager and Mayor Skelly which at times is unprofessional and not respectful of our citizens, especially to those with differing opinions. As I have spoken to on two previous occasions at City Council meetings, I believe it is unethical for the City Manager to offer political commentary on city affairs, but to me the blame falls on City Council for allowing this conduct in the first place, and it appears this conduct will be allowed to continue. I note early in his presentation of the proposed 2022 city budget to City Council the City Manager stated about social media words to the effect that, “I am responsible for times I have been aggravated, and I need to do better”; let us hope we see improved conduct in the next year.

The night of the re-election of Councillors Kennedy, Powers and Skamperle, Mayor Skelly stated in a television interview that, “Nothing has changed, it is still 4 to 3”. To me this is not an accurate reading of the mood of most voters in the city based on the election results, and it shortchanges our citizenry if current City Council does not recognize the message has changed and adjust their plans for the next two years.

When I submit a copy of this letter to City Council for the record at the public hearing for the proposed 2022 city budget, I will also include a list of questions and thoughts I have about this proposal. My list will be too lengthy to include with this letter, but a few areas to share at this time:

1. How was the budgeted revenue for sales tax of $2,952,554 determined? Is it a conservative estimate? My thought, I would budget a lower amount than estimated to be safe (i.e., if the estimate is in the range of $3.2 million then a budget of $3 million seems appropriate).

2. As I mentioned at a previous city council meeting, with the uncertainty of sales tax revenue in the first year of pre-emption I do not think it is wise to reduce the largest source of city income, the property tax levy, in 2022. I think waiting a year before further reduction is considered would be responsible and understood by the community.

3. The budget for the City Comptroller’s office included funding for a Financial Supervisor, I believe a new position. The advertisement for this position in the newspaper listed a lengthy list of job duties. Question: who is currently handling these responsibilities? If the consultant, if job duties are shifted with lesser responsibility for the consultant, should their fee be reduced?

I offer the following: The proposed 2022 budget includes consultant fee $84,000, salary for the financial supervisor $68,000, total $150,000. Would it not be less expensive to eliminate both and hire a city comptroller as a city employee as in the past? A daily presence in the city comptroller’s office might serve the city better, it might help eliminate the turnover of staffing within the city comptroller’s office (I believe only one employee remains from the staff in 2020).

4. In page D-2 of the proposed 2022 city budget there is a list of specialized assignments and capabilities of the city police force. Are all these still performed with the past and proposed reduction of police officers? If not, what has changed? A smaller note, I see the funding for the part-time cleaner at the police department is eliminated. Are our officers now expected to dust furniture, mop floors and empty trash?

5. Is the Business Developer position included in the proposed 2022 budget? If no, why not? If yes, why was this position not filled in 2021?

Thanks to your readers for their patience in reading this letter.

Mike Tooley
Ogdensburg