Salamanca let go of 49 employees, not because of the SNI, but because of their state
The Salamanca mayor certainly should not be blaming the Seneca Nation for their lack of planning and lack of monetary investment. If they operate their government solely on the money from the casino, then Salamanca residents need to elect someone in there who can plan properly.
Besides that, the nation sends the money to the state and it is up to the state to so send that money to the city. The way they put it, it is as if the money goes directly right to them right now. Not true. That money that is handed out for this year comes from last years donation, not this years. The municipalities will get their share from the state from this years payments;... next year.
So if I was a Salamanca resident or one of those employees who got dismissed, you better ask your mayor and council what they heck they are doing. Plan and prepare your budget more properly.
And beside that, why is the mayor grandstanding now? Where was his support, where is his support with all of this taxation attempts? Where is his support, where is his letter revoking New Yorks attempt to try to collect the cigarette tax? No press conference on how it will harm the businesses or the employees in the private sector of Salamanca?
No support or word from Mayor Pond means no support or worry from us, if that is the way it is going to be. I think that we are done talking to the state. Only thing that happens when we meet with them is that they want money or land from us. So why bother.
Besides that, the nation sends the money to the state and it is up to the state to so send that money to the city. The way they put it, it is as if the money goes directly right to them right now. Not true. That money that is handed out for this year comes from last years donation, not this years. The municipalities will get their share from the state from this years payments;... next year.
So if I was a Salamanca resident or one of those employees who got dismissed, you better ask your mayor and council what they heck they are doing. Plan and prepare your budget more properly.
And beside that, why is the mayor grandstanding now? Where was his support, where is his support with all of this taxation attempts? Where is his support, where is his letter revoking New Yorks attempt to try to collect the cigarette tax? No press conference on how it will harm the businesses or the employees in the private sector of Salamanca?
No support or word from Mayor Pond means no support or worry from us, if that is the way it is going to be. I think that we are done talking to the state. Only thing that happens when we meet with them is that they want money or land from us. So why bother.
posted by administrator at
12:24 AM
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SALAMANCA -- Mayor Jeffrey L. Pond on Friday notified 49 city workers that they will be terminated beginning Sept. 27, as the city tries to get a handle on expenses during an ongoing dispute between the state and Seneca Nation of Indians.
In all, 31 part-time and 18 full-time workers will lose their jobs between Sept. 27 and Oct. 11.
"As a host community of a Seneca Casino," Pond said, "the city provides essential services using the revenues generated from the gaming compact agreement. The revenues we planned for in our budget will not materialize in the foreseeable future and they city cannot afford to provide services to the extent that we have been."
The city is short nearly $3 million out of a $7 million budget for the fiscal year 2010-11, and is now six months into that budget, which expires March 30.
"We are facing a fiscal crisis unlike any other this city has experienced," Pond said. "As a result we've been forced to make some very difficult decisions. These cuts in personnel represent 40 percent of the city's work force, and there will likely be more. Every city department is affected and this action will severely impact the level of services the city provides to its residents."
Most of the city lies on the Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians, where residential and commercial leaseholders pay annual "rents" to the Senecas.
Pond, the City Council and department heads have held several meetings after receiving word in late August that the Seneca Council voted to terminate sending a share of the slot machine proceeds to the state -- part of a dispute over competing state gaming enterprises. The cities of Niagara Falls and Buffalo receive like amounts as other host communities for Seneca casinos.
In a recent letter to Gov. David A. Paterson, Pond called for direct action by the state and Senecas.
"The Seneca Nation contends the state has violated the casino gaming compact and is withholding exclusivity fees as a result. The state shares 25 percent of that fee with local host governments.
"I implore the leadership of both entities to negotiate and come to the table immediately because this stalemate is having disastrous effects on our city's operations," Pond's letter stated.
During a special Council session Friday, a resolution was unanimously adopted stating that as a result of not receiving the payment from the Senecas for 2009, "the city is faced with a financial hardship which requires drastic and immediate action to ensure the financial integrity of the city, and includes the layoff of city personnel."
Full-time positions to be terminated include five firefighters, three police officers, typists in the library, Youth Bureau, city clerk's and assessor's offices, two truck drivers in the Public Works Department, building inspector and the planning and industrial development directors.
Part-time positions include 11 police officers, two police matrons, one emergency medical technician in the Fire Department, five laborers, one mechanic helper, one motor equipment operator in Public Works and a cleaner at City Hall.
Other positions affected include a library typist and cleaner, Youth Bureau janitor and recreation director, plumbing inspector, city historian, civil defense director, the mayor's secretary, who will now be working part time, and the city attorney, who will work to be working one day a week.
Layoffs will be determined by seniority lists established in relation to civil service law and labor unions.
City Comptroller Linda Rychcik was directed to pay to those severed workers vacation, comp, personal and holiday time and to continue health insurance coverage until Oct. 31.Pond said the layoffs will have a profound impact. He noted that since the casino opened in 2004, calls for both the police and fire departments have nearly doubled. As a result, the city purchased additional fire and police equipment and snowplows to handle the service demands of the casino's presence in the community.
A reduction in staff in these departments will mean a slower response time to emergency calls, Pond said, including snow removal. The city's youth will also feel the cuts with reduced hours at a popular youth center.
Library hours are expected to be reduced. but the facility must remain open at least 35 hours to maintain its charter, Pond said.
"We needed to base our response plan on several unknowns," Pond said. "Most significant is that we do not know how long this stalemate will last. After careful review and due diligence with our contacts within the state and Seneca government, we needed to make some difficult decisions based on the assumption that the compact revenues will not materialize in the foreseeable future."
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