BUDGET WOES

The meeting was at best a bland affair except for the two Public Comment periods. The focus of the peoples remarks was directly and indirectly related to this years budget and the impact of today's economic crisis.

The fact that we will be entering the six month of this fiscal year without a budget despite the efforts of the Council's Committee to meet a now postponed Dec1 deadline, delineates the futility and inappropriateness of operating on a fiscal year starting July1. Much funding the city needs is dependent on state grants or allocated funds. Most is not decided until December. In the mean time 6 months of expenses has already occurred and will impact on the budget and funds available to complete the year.

The city used to operate on a calender fiscal year, I am not sure why other than state pressure the present fiscal year was adopted. It is not rational, but then is government ever?

Much discussion was about the impact of today's economy on the city's ability to have fund for services. Where will we be able to tighten the belt. What is the effect of our multiple union contracts and mandatory raises. Is there any legal way to post facto negate provisions in a legal contract. Many political entities, including New York (State and City) have informally suggested the contracts be renegotiated or voluntarily adjusted>

Citizen Darden pointed out the increasing legal notices of Plainfield foreclosures listed daily in the paper's legal notices. In today's (11/18/08) Courier in the paper's new minimal size print there are three full pages of tax leans for public sale. Although, most are for PMUA delinquencies there is an astonishing number of delinquent city taxes. Most of the larger delinquencies are for commercial property. How many are for homes already abandoned or foreclosed is unknown, but until foreclosure this represents substantial monetary loss for Plainfield.

I have a legal problem that needs answering. I presume that if a property is foreclosed the holder of the mortgage must assume responsibility for all liens (tax and otherwise) on the property. If this is not true then who is responsible for the unpaid taxes. If the lien is exercised by th city what happens to the mortgage? Has the city had problems collecting taxes on foreclosed properties from the mortgage holder.? Can the property holder get off without being responsible for the delinquent taxes?