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By MARK GUYDISH; Times Leader Staff Writer
Sunday, March 31, 1996 Page: 1
HAZLETON — The setting said more than the speech.
Mayor Michael Marsicano’s decision to give his “State of the City” address
in front of television cameras in City Hall’s Council Chambers — with no
council members present — illustrated the growing chasm between Marsicano and
council.
The speech, televised on local cable Channel 13 Tuesday night, might not
have met a legal requirement that the mayor give the address “to council,”
said council President Phil Andras.
“I don’t have cable, so I did not see it. I sincerely hope the mayor still
intends to give the speech before council,” Andras said Thursday.
Andras and council member Bill Lockwood said they are reviewing whether
council has the power to force the mayor to give another “State of the City”
address in front of council members.
Andras said the law requires the mayor give an address but does not set a
time frame.
Marsicano has attended only one of seven council meetings held since Feb.
15, when council voted to make 74 amendments to Marsicano’s proposed 1996
budget. Council has rejected several of Marsicano’s key appointments and has
questioned his spending.
In a televised interview after the speech, Marsicano said he is not legally
required to attend council meetings.
“I’m not going there to give them a format to argue. I am not there to
serve council. I serve the people that I represent,” Marsicano said.
Council members have repeatedly complained the mayor is not providing
information they need to conduct city business. On Thursday they passed a
resolution listing 15 separate requests for information. They have asked
several times for information on the 1996 capital budget, due April 1, and the
community development budget.
At Thursday’s council meeting, council had neither budget. Yet during his
televised appearance Tuesday, Marsicano listed proposed expenditures for both
budgets.
Some of Marsicano’s statements appeared contradictory:
Marsicano began the speech lamenting that the city is $11 million in debt,
with $9.2 million incurred during former mayor John Quigley’s eight-year
tenure. Yet by the end of the broadcast, Marsicano proposed up to $1.3 million
in new expenditures in the capital budget, which is funded by long-term
borrowing.
Marsicano said there would be a fund balance of about $250,000 from the
1995 general fund.
In a televised debate shortly before the November election, Marsicano said
the 1995 fund balance had been depleted to $72,000. “We won’t have a windfall
fund balance at the end of the year,” Marsicano has said.
Marsicano said the city has signed an agreement with a Texas telemarketer
to rent the entire second floor of the newly renovated Deisroth/McCrory
building, creating 80 to 130 jobs.
Marsicano bitterly blasted the Deisroth/McCrory project during the primary
campaign, accusing Quigley of launching the project to help business cronies
and arrange personal profit.
In listing the capital budget expenditures, Marsicano said roughly $500,000
would go toward a new computer system in City Hall. The new system would allow
the city to bring tax collection back into City Hall, fulfilling a campaign
promise, he said.
He also said about $800,000 would be spent on the streets department for
two snowblower trucks, two loaders, two dump trucks, and shop tools and an
engine analyzer to allow the city to service all it’s own vehicles, fulfilling
another campaign promise.
The police would get two new cruisers and two motorcycles. Marsicano said
Harley-Davidson offered to sell the motorcycles for a little more than
$10,000, less than half the regular cost.
Marsicano also listed more than $915,000 in city improvements to be funded
through the federal Community Development grant program. The city is
restricted in where those funds can be spent, depending on the income level of
an area.
On Thursday council member Lockwood questioned some of the Community
Development projects proposed for the Terrace section of town, one of the
newest and wealthiest sections. Marsicano proposed work on Johns Avenue,
Terrace Boulevard and Randon cq Lane. Lockwood said he did not believe those
areas were eligible for Community Development funds.
Michael Marsicano