Politics & Government

Council Members, Candidates Square Off on Budget [POLL]

Democratic candidates say there was ample time for consensus. GOP council members say goals weren't met.

Democratic Borough Council candidates Astri Baillie and Ben Wolkowitz in a press release last week by Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto and Councilmen Don Links and Rob Catalanello. .

Baillie and Wolkowitz said they supported to pass the budget, but found the no votes "disturbing" because the council began budget deliberations eight months before.

"Shouldn’t they have found common ground by now?" they asked. The press release also wondered why they voted against the budget knowing, if it was defeated, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs could assume control over Madison's finances, and why they agreed to introduce the budget, but then voted against it.

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Borough Councilmen Don Links and Rob Catalanello said budget goals agreed to by the mayor and borough administration when they introduced the budget were not met, and pointed to Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto's explanation of why she voted against the budget: exposure from tax appeals, a need for more capital funding, increasing health insurance costs and a coming arbitration decision for police contracts that could lead to an increase of more than the 1.5 percent increase budgeted.

They said the budget was created at the last minute without their input, and misinformation was spread about some council members wanting to take away funding for community organizations, including the Madison Community House, that were targeted on a "hit list."

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Links and Catalanello also cited data showing how taxes and debt increased while Baillie served on the council.

"We trust Madisonians will see through these claims of 'playing politics with the budget' for what they are–an attempt to create scandal where there is none to direct attention away from our real financial issues," they wrote.


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