Haverhill city councilors Tuesday are expected to hear Mayor James J. Fiorentini discuss highlights of a his proposed city budget for the next fiscal year that begins July 1.
Fiorentini is scheduled to address the council at the start of tonight’s regular session as he presents a budget plan and upcoming review sessions by the council. According to Fiorentini, the new budget plan will add money for, among other things, public education, including a pilot tutoring program and summer school programs to improve school performance. It would also spend more money to “patch and improve sidewalks.”
“FY 16 budget will add $$ to public education, add one cop, improve playgrounds and save for tomorrow,” Fiorentini said in online posts. “The budget increases the amount to patch and improve sidewalks, but millions and millions more is needed.” Fiorentini noted street paving projects would begin “in a week or two,” but “roads are a separate budget, will introduce shortly.”
A specific city budget total has yet to be revealed, but school spending will increase to $70 million next year under a budget plan passed last Thursday by the Haverhilll school committee.
The Haverhill city council meets at 7 p.m., tonight, in council chambers at Haverhill City Hall.
“Save for tomorrow”?
Where’s the $3.5MILLION dollar surplus you ended FY 2013 with after raising taxes 2.5%???????????????
That’s not YOUR money…that’s taxpayer money!!! You raised taxes while intentionally knowing you didn’t need the funds and then you kept it…only to hand it out to city administrators a few months later in the way of pay raises. If you were in any other industry other than government you’d be in jail for intentionally over charging and then not returning the money to the people who paid it. Submitting a budget with the false intent of needing money you actually don’t need is fraud. And not returning the funds when it is determined you’ve overcharged is theft.
“millions and millions more is needed.” – Just go to your pal Brian Dempsey, he was able to “appropriate” tens-of-millions for Harbor Place (for The Fish Family), maybe he can do the same for you? Funny though, that when The People call you out on issues, you pull a turtle and shutout access to you (noticed you closed comments on your FB page). Then again, in a city living off deficit financing bonds (an inside joke to the bond community), and one which you take no responsibility for causing even though you voted for the hospital sale and its pension obligations when you were on City Council, no one seems to call you out on that.
In a just world, the city would have been in receivership, but Brian and the rest of his cronies will have none of that, so theft it is and more harm to The People of Massachusetts, as well as Haverhill Residents as you and your friends make a money grab for anything not nailed down. Then again, even if it is nailed down, I won’t be surprised for you to make a move on that either as pols in Massachusetts treat The People like chattel.