At the risk of sounding like an "I told you so"

I find reports of several actions recently proposed by the Tutunjian Administration to be the height of arrogance.

First - the raising of the Mayor's salary and the salaries of his staff two weeks after the election.

These raises if planned for next year should have been included in the Mayor's proposed budget. The City Charter requires that raises be included in the budget. I didn't see them there did anyone else? The Mayor is required to swear by oath that the budget he prepared and submitted to the City Council is complete and accurate.

Section C-70 D (15). Budgetary procedure requires the Mayor to submit the following:
A certification, under oath, by the Mayor and the Budget Director that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, the budget recommendation reflects all known or anticipated expenditures and accurately reflects all known or anticipated revenues, and is in balance between total expenditure and total revenues.

It seems as though it was his intention all along to tie his salary to the raises awarded to the Civil Service Employee Union in order to set up a 3.5% annual pay raise for himself and his lieutenants. As a result, the Mayor will be making over $97,000 by the time his lame duck term is over.

Tutunjian was often quoted during the election as saying the race was one of "trust". However, with some races not even finalized yet, this trusted elected official has decided to take the same path as the Republican County Legislature did when they voted themselves an 11th hour raise a couple of years ago.

Not only that, he proposes the absurd requirement that future City Councils need a unanimous vote to change any of these raises. This requirement violates the operation procedures of the City Council, the City Charter and state law and Robert’s Rules of Order. Where is the "open" and "trustworthy" administration this candidate campaigned on!

Second – Didn't the Mayor learn anything from the proposed sale of City Hall?

The proposed sale of two acres of parkland at Kennedy Towers and the proposed sale of the Uncle Sam Parking garage require the same public process required for the sale of City Hall.

The sale of the Kennedy Towers site will require approval by the state legislature and require the City to replace the loss of 2 acres of parkland somewhere else. In addition, the Mayor must go through the same open solicitation for bids for each of these public facilities. Short cutting the process is not an option, even if the proposed projects are good ones - and I believe each could be good.

Both projects also require a competent appraisal of the value of each property in order to evaluate the sales price for each. These steps do not have to be onerous and may not impact the final outcome of the projects but they must be followed. To do less is to violate the Charter and the "trust" of the people.