Mandel, Goggin, and Schnirman Administration missed a June 30th deadline to get $12 million is Sandy Relief- Incompetence everywhere in city hall!
Newsday reported earlier today that, "A fatal flaw has nullified a bill to allow Long Beach to borrow up to $12 million to get out of a financial hole partially dug by superstorm Sandy..."
According to Newsday, "The bill stated that Long Beach had to issue bonds by June 30, the end of the city's fiscal year. But the bill didn't receive final approval until June 17, and given the short time frame, the city missed the deadline."
There's enough blame and incompetence to go around for this fatal mistake. City Council President Mandel and Council member Eileen Goggin should have called a special city council meeting to approve the borrowing before June 30th. It's not like a special city council meeting is out of the ordinary, the Mandel, Goggin, Adelson, and Torres administration has held nine (9) special city council meetings since Janaury 2012! That's more special meetings than any administration has had in recent memory. Furthermore there needs only to be 12 hour notice for a special city council meeting, so there was plenty of time! City Manager Jack Schnirman should have known the deadline was approaching and he should have prepared adequately. He also should have been working closely with Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg to make sure the bill got to Governor Cuomo's desk for his signature. Comptroller Jeff Nogid was really asleep at the switch; he should have been watching the deadlines like a hawk and he should have had the council resolution drawn up and ready for council approval. Assemblyman Harvey Weisenberg, who was responsible for getting the bill to the governor for signing, was apparently sleeping too. Incompetence everywhere. Everyone was asleep at the switch and now they are all blaming each other and yet no one is taking the blame.
In response to being told of the fatal mistake by the Mandel-Goggin Administration, City Manager tried desperately to downplay to error. According to Newsday, "Long Beach City Manager Jack Schnirman said the mistake won't "have an immediate impact on the city's finances..."
It won't have an impact on the cities finances? Is he kidding? When the state senate failed to approve the administration's first request last year for the money Schnirman was livid and went on a public relations assault against Senator Skelos and scaring residents into believing the city was on the verge of bankruptcy. The democrat Clubhouse had a sig that read, 'Thank You Senator Skelos for Raising Our Taxes!" The sky was literally falling out of the sky. But now when Schnirman makes a fatal error like thsi and misses the deadline for the money "the mistake won't "have an immediate impact..."? Was Schnirman lying a year ago, or is he lying now. He can't have it both ways!
When asked to comment on my filing an ethics complaint against him earlier this week, City Manager Jack Schnirman said, "...My job is to focus on the city's physical and fiscal recovery without distraction," Well apparently he wasn't as focused as he tshould have been or thought he was otherwise he would not have allowed a $12 million Sandy Recovery Bill deadline pass without a special city council meeting or some action!
Either Schnirman is doing serious damage control to cover up his incompetence, or he lied was exaggerating the breath and depth of the so-called fiscal crisis last year. Bottom line is he can't have it both ways.
These are the people controlling our tax money! Think about it!
