Sometimes chippy City Council meeting adds two new salaried positions

A rare light moment during Tuesday's City Council meeting when Councilor Ralph Torr complained about a rescue boat being turned down when in fact, it was approved, and he'd voted for it. (City of Rochester video capture)

ROCHESTER - In a brief, sometimes testy meeting on Tuesday City Councilors amended the city's final operating budget to add a new full-time firefighter and a $90,000-a-year salaried deputy assessor.

Since the budget had previously been under the tax cap, the new assessing position reflected about an $80,000 shortfall. To bring it back under the tax cap City Councilors voted overwhelmingly to increase anticipated Waste Management host fees by $80,000 to offset the added funding.

Meanwhile, voting on the added firefighter and deputy assessor showed a much more fragmented council.

First City Councilor David Walker's request to reconsider the addition of a deputy assessor after a previous no vote last meeting drew criticism from Deputy Mayor Ray Varney, who said if city assessors needed more help the focus shouldn't be on hiring a deputy assessor.

"If you need an extra body we can put another assessor in the department for a lot less money," he said.

After little further discussion the motion to add the deputy assessor passed, with Jeremy Hutchinson, James Gray, Donna Bogan and Varney voting no.

A discussion to add an additional firefighter introduced by Rochester Mayor Caroline McCarley was even more controversial. The mayor explained that the yearlong military deployment of a current firefighter would cause the salary line item to remain neutral and that the budget would only have to increase about $6,000 for new equipment.

"That would be a permanent add to the budget though so when the deployment come back you've got an extra firefighter," Keans reasoned.

"If you view that as an extra firefighter," McCarley replied, adding that the fire department normally runs seven-man shifts and they feel they are understaffed.

McCarley added the council normally doesn't vote on adding a police or fire position, they just vote on its funding.

Keans pushed back saying she felt a vote on the position was necessary, but Varney countered his motion did just that, calling to add a firefighter and fund the new gear.

Then motion ultimately passed with Walker, Geoffrey Hamann, Keans and Elaine Lauterborn opposed.

Finance officials later assured councilors the moves weren't expected to affect the 54 cent mil rate.

City Councilor Pete Lachapelle was absent.