Ex-Board Member Rips Current Administration

HARRISON - With increased taxes and a mounting town debt on everyone's mind, some are beginning to blame town leadership for Harrison's financial difficulties. Emil Dominianni, who served as a town councilman for four years, is no exception and he made that clear while addressing the board during its May 6 meeting.

Dominianni spoke to the board for about twenty minutes, blasting their attempts at building revenue through small taxes and fees while not cutting spending. He said that he fears that unless there is a sudden change in the mindset of town leadership, people might start moving away because of sharp increases in property taxes.

"These are difficult times, and I think the approach that the board has adopted to try to figure out how to raise revenues at a time when raising revenues is a very difficult thing is the wrong approach," said Dominianni. "You are forcing people to fight with their feet, they will move out."

The ex-board member has lived in the town for over 40 years. He has lived in the same neighborhood as Mayor/Supervisor Joan Walsh since 1964. The mayor afforded Dominianni the opportunity to speak at the beginning of the meeting after he had sent her e-mails voicing his concerns about town spending.

Dominianni emphasized that he was not there to speak as a politician, just a concerned citizen.

"Some of his points were valid," Walsh said this week. "However, what he did not consider is that since I have been mayor we have reduced the work force by 43 positions."

During his time at the podium, Dominianni placed the burden of where the cuts should be made on the shoulders of the five board members. He offered few specific solutions or programs to be cut with the exception of the controversial police liaison position, which he said the town cannot afford.

"You know where the waste is, you know what has to be cut," said Dominianni. "Don't ask people the questions...that's not their job, it's you're job."

Predictably, proposed spending reductions included cuts to employees and employee benefits. Although the town has re-negotiated contracts with each of its labor unions it is currently unclear how much money was directly given back and how much was deferred to future years.

Walsh was quick to point out that although struggles with the budget will always be an issue in Harrison, the board has done everything it can to cut spending. She said this week that the town is already 15 percent below expenditures for this year's budget and that eliminations and retirement incentives have already saved the town millions of dollars.

But those explanations weren't enough for Dominianni, who said several times that he is looking for results and that the town should do everything possible to avoid another tax hike when next year's budget is passed this fall.

"You've got to give people an incentive, and sometimes the incentive is a swift blow to the head," said Dominianni.

Walsh responded at the meeting by explaining that Dominianni was only hitting on some parts of the issues he addressed.

"You can twist it any way you like, you can slant it any way you like, but the fact of the matter is that this board has worked hard at cutting," she said.