Revisiting the council meeting

Thursday’s coverage from the Wednesday city council meeting brought lots of lively discussion about the garbage tax. I know it was supposed to be temporary. Also, people asked: Why do you only criticize Cauley and Myles and not Acting Corporation Counsel Tom DeBoy? How can you say meeting during an open meeting is an illegal meeting?

• To clarify: Sometimes DeBoy is off his game. He warrants criticism. For example, I believe a walk-on resolution requires a supermajority, four votes. DeBoy’s point that the outside counsel resolution was illegal was likely on the money. Because:
• Under the city charter, only the mayor can sign a contract. To sign a contract and then submit an invoice is like asking a fence company for a quote in your role as a councilperson and then saying you were acting as a councilperson. I believe concerned parties should find outside funding for counsel. 
• The resolution said the council can seek counsel when it is concerned DeBoy has a conflict of interest. DeBoy, as his predecessor Mazur, is required by his licensing through the State Bar to recuse himself any time he has a conflict of interest. 

The conclusion: Cauley’s walk-on resolution was a slap in the face to DeBoy because it shows the council does not expect him to recuse himself when a conflict arises. DeBoy has an impossible job because he knows less than the mayor, who knows less than the city administrator. He can’t answer questions if he doesn’t know the answers.

Reading between the lines, there are some council members who seem to think each time DeBoy speaks, he has a conflict of interest because he serves at the pleasure of the mayor so the balance of power is tilted.

Contrast the outside counsel issur to Vincent Cauley and Bridgette Myles regarding NORLIC.

Cauley attended last week’s Urban Renewal Agency meeting as a board member, asked questions of the county leader in charge of the IDA. He even stayed after to ask more questions. Then he showed up with all the information in hand and voted no. Myles was too busy to attend the URA. If you still have questions and need more information why not ask them at the URA meeting?

Why was that meeting on the dais illegal. It was during an open meeting. 

The meeting was in recess. Archie, conferring with Cauley and Myles during a recess out of earshot of constituents constitutes a quorum. If the counsel wanted to recess to seek legal advice or for an executive session for specific reasons, that would be acceptable. It is nitpicky but I think it's fair.

About the garbage tax:

The council voted to keep it static at $181 a year. Numerous commenters suggested the city should eliminate the tax. Reality is if you did that, it would roll the cost of all collection onto the backs of taxpayers. That means the 40% or so of fees being paid by tax exempt properties would fall to taxpayers. Either cut services within the general budget or make us all pay including the non taxpaying properties.

Also, while I took criticism for reporting the cost of garbage collection in Clarence, the cost in Buffalo for most users is $162.61 per year.

What about Rick Pfeiffer?

Pfeiffer left as the "for the good of the community" portion of the agenda started. No one was likey to say anything that was going to make his article, or mine (I stayed for most of it). Rick is on the clock for the Gazette. I am work for you, not an Alabama corporation. 

DeBoy, too, has taken to leaving for that part of the agenda to avoid the harangues of the citizenry. It is probably good for his sanity.

As it is, this was the second consecutive meeting his reporting did not make Thursday's paper. Sometime later this year, the Gazette will likely drop another day of print and also either stop printing the Union, Sun & Journal or make it a weakly. (Sarcasm intended).

On a serious note, Pfeiffer lives in Buffalo and I believe in a residency requirement for journalists covering Niagara Falls. He deserves retirement and I hope he accepts it soon.