The Trenton Times published the following article on June 10, 2013. To read the full article, click here.

Trenton City Council balks as mayor’s aide seeks $195,000 for events

By Jenna Pizzi/The Times of Trenton 
on June 10, 2013 at 10:34 PM, updated June 10, 2013 at 11:31 PM

TRENTON — As a mayoral aide pitched 15 events next fiscal year costing $195,000 that he said the city should pay for, city council members said some of the events are not necessary and may be better suited for backing from a private group.

The proposed public events included everything from the “Mayor’s end of school year celebration” to citywide basketball and baseball leagues. The budget for the activities and events was presented by mayoral aide Anthony Roberts at the council’s meeting tonight.

“What this is, is a juggling act,” Council President Phyllis Holly Ward said. She told Roberts not to assume that the city and the taxpayers are going to pay for such things automatically.

However, the council said it supports funding $22,777 for the city’s summer pools. The remainder of the cost — a little more than $83,000 — to operate the five public pools comes from Community Development Block Grants.

National Night Out, during emergency responders mingle with the public, also won support from the council. The recreation department proposed putting $12,000 toward the August event.

“This is one of the events that is very popular,” said Business Administrator Sam Hutchinson.

Hutchinson said some communities raised their own funds last year to put on the events, but in some cases city funding went toward food.

Last night, council members said they would also agree to fund $4,000 each for seven baseball leagues, including Babe Ruth and Little League.

“The mayor wanted to make sure that all these leagues or clubs, whatever you call them, all got the same amount,” Roberts said.

Funding for the Babe Ruth league was cut off last year after it was linked to the FBI investigation of Mayor Tony Mack, who has been indicted on charges of extorting funds from developers.

The board also allowed conditional funding for a number of basketball leagues, set to begin July 1, when the new fiscal year starts. But some council members showed concern that the six leagues, which are free to players, were budgeted to receive $32,114 next fiscal year, when they only received about $7,000 in the current fiscal year, which is about to end.

Hutchinson said that in the current fiscal year the city gave the basketball leagues the smaller amount because many of them did not have the proper paperwork to certify that they should receive full funding from the city. The leagues had to get the remaining money from other sources.

“Last year we had a lot of issues,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson asked the council to be more flexible about recreation spending in the next fiscal budget, so the department can continue to put on important programs for the city, while still staying fiscally responsible.

“The public also wants activities, and activities cost,” he said.

The council did not express support for a number of new programs Roberts said he and Mack had hoped to start this year, such as a Thanksgiving Day Parade and the “Mayor’s achievement awards” to honor students who show excellence in scholastic, citizenship, athletics, performing and visual arts.

Council members, who expressed disappointment that the city would be sponsoring the Heritage Days Festival this month, said they would not support any funding for the festival in next year’s budget. It was the largest line item on Roberts’ list, at $50,000.

Councilman Zachary Chester suggested the administration turn to business partners for funding for things such as the proposed summer concert series and the “Take it to the Streets” festival.

Roberts said he is skeptical that the administration will be successful but that he would attempt to reach out to find corporate sponsors for city programs.

Contact Jenna Pizzi at jpizzi@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5717.