To the Editor:

Ogdensburg’s Financial Restructuring Board (FRB) Report needs some light. The city manager holds it up as Ogdensburg’s defining document, saying recently, “the City is working diligently to advance each and every recommendation and initiative”.

The problem? The Report was put together with completely different financial data. We all know City finances aren’t what they were five years ago.

The FRB found: “The City's General Fund ran three straight annual operating deficits from 2014 through 2016; however, the City ran two straight modest annual operating surpluses in 2017 and 2018.”

That’s where the Report ends, 2018. In 2019, finances improved, and in 2020, even more so.

Now that so many City jobs have been cut (30), by this crew, it’s a completely different picture. And we’re no longer approaching the Constitutional Tax Limit, which was held up as the top concern in 2020.

But since we’re looking at old studies, let’s look at the 1992 study done on the Ogdensburg Fire Department (OFD). Paid for by the City, and performed by the MMA Consulting Group.

It states: “To obtain sufficient response personnel quickly, the department should have at least six, and preferably seven, people on duty at all times.”

The city manager has cut it to four on duty (a contract violation), and he’s talking of cutting it to three. He says one less firefighter makes no difference (anyone who’s been on initial response, knows better), but he’s also said that city residents need to lower their expectations.

A big difference between the two studies, on OFD recommendations, is that the MMA Group actually held “interviews and discussions” with “building inspectors and the assessor...as well as almost every fire department employee, business people, EMS personnel and others.”

Also, “running and mutual aid assignments were reviewed, and fire crews were asked to describe how they would respond to various types of calls.”

To my knowledge, the FRB did none of those things, in compiling their Report. Fire Department employees were not contacted, in concluding: “If the City were able to provide fire protection service in a manner similar to some of its peer cities, it is feasible that the City could potentially operate with as few as 20 firefighters.”

The city manager went even further, and cut it to 18 firefighters (a contract violation). But talk about a dubious statement: “If the City were able...it is feasible...the City could potentially operate.” Words that don’t inspire confidence.

The FRB did “an analysis of similar-sized cities” to reach that unreliable conclusion. So even though our circumstances are vastly different from those other cities, the recommendation was for saving money.

No real consideration was given to what it takes to keep residents safe and protect property. So their recommendation lacks vital perspective. And the city manager’s position, that nothing bad has happened yet, is no way to look at emergency services. You prepare for the worst and hope for the best, not just the latter.

He recently stated: “Not one incident in either organization (fire and police) would have been better handled with more staff.” How can he possibly verify that? He wasn’t at the incidents referenced, so he’s just trying to whitewash the issue.

The MMA Group concluded that it takes “at least six…on duty” for a “sufficient response”. So what’s the common sense conclusion if there’s only four (or three) on duty?

From the MMA study: “It should be recognized that any alternative staffing scenario that does not provide for on duty, immediately available response personnel increases the likelihood of risk to the public and firefighters and an increase in financial fire losses.”

Using automatic mutual aid, 15 minutes away, is such an alternative staffing scenario. The distance is the issue, not the welcomed help.

One thing’s for sure, the FRB didn’t tell the City to blatantly violate a binding contract. They recognized that, “provisions in the Fire Department contract restrain the City from meaningfully reforming the Fire Department structure and staffing.”

The Report stated: “The Board recommends that the City seek labor and healthcare efficiencies.”

So the previous City Manager, at the bargaining table in 2019, after the Report came out, got the firefighters union to agree to cut four positions (down to 24). She also got all five bargaining units to agree to switch to health insurance coverage with much higher out-of-pocket costs for both employees and retirees.

She was rightfully concerned about City finances, but knew it was both wrong and highly damaging to push things through without agreement, as this crew has proven.

Some FRB recommendations are reasonable, and have been implemented, but this city manager is now using it as a destructive tool, even though things have changed considerably since the review.

He’ll call this fiction; his go-to term for truth he doesn’t like. But using the FRB Report, to justify reckless cuts, is beyond fiction. It’s deception, and it’s deeply damaging our community.

But here’s something from the Report being intentionally ignored: “It should be noted that any decrease in revenue to the City of Ogdensburg would have to be recouped via the property tax.”

So even with a significant decrease coming, in sales tax revenue, this crew doesn’t plan to recoup the loss.

They’re adding to it, by cutting property taxes further. Their one true goal, no matter the effects.

With the upcoming election, the city manager writes (about candidates he opposes): “Paying lip service to unions won’t last long if you don’t actually have a plan.” What about the mayor’s lip service in 2019? He promised a 25% tax cut, while saying public safety wouldn’t be cut to achieve it. So lying about your plan is okay, but not having one isn’t.

To close, any City Council candidate supporting this city manager will have to carry the baggage such support brings. His abusive Facebook use was just called out at a City Council meeting. He responded, “I will not ‘rise above it’ or ‘act professionally’” (we know). But he also claimed, “I do not ever treat people disrespectfully.” Anyone who’s had true interaction with him, knows what that claim is.

Ron Bouchard
Ogdensburg