City-Owned Property

[Caz5]

Reading the debate in the Buffalo News with regards to the disputed property on Ridge Road between the 2nd Baptist Church and the Yemenite Benevolent Association, my questions are:

1. How can land be sold, unsold, sold again...?
2. How much is this costing the taxpayers??? If the City attorney who is on the payroll is withdrawing from the negotiations due to "conflict of interests," just how much is an outside attorney going to cost?
3. Aren't there any rules or ordinances or whatever for HOW to sell city-owned property? Procedures to follow? Forms to fill out and process?
4. Isn't ANYONE IN CHARGE????

[WNYresident]

2. How much is this costing the taxpayers??? If the City attorney who is on the payroll is withdrawing from the negotiations due to "conflict of interests," just how much is an outside attorney going to cost?

How or why is there a conflict of interest?

[mnb811]

How or why is there a conflict of interest?

The city attorney is with Szymanski who is kissing up to the Yemenites.

The Council President Jaworski is flip flopping worse than a fish out of water and looking for votes so he's siding with the African Americans.

The Democrats in Power in Lackawanna just love this kind of stuff. They play the race card every chance they get then when everything goes to s**t nothing gets accomplished and everything gets worse! Then they have an excuse to use for not fixing up the 1st Ward which is: "We tried to do something but "them" people never get along." a councilman/mayoral candidate that is running said that once. He knows who he is!


The funny thing is while all these 1st ward folks are taking sides they end up screwing themselves in the process. Either they are totally blind,clueless or so self centered on their hatred for each other they have no idea to how they are being played! Meanwhile those in power are laughing their asses off at them and keeping the 1st Ward exactly like it has been for decades!

If both of these groups were smart they would join forces and become a force to be reckoned with. It is just common sense. Now you all know why the first ward looks like s**t!

[YNOTNOW]

The city attorney is with Szymanski who is kissing up to the Yemenites.

The Council President Jaworski is flip flopping worse than a fish out of water and looking for votes so he's siding with the African Americans.

The Democrats in Power in Lackawanna just love this kind of stuff. They play the race card every chance they get then when everything goes to s**t nothing gets accomplished and everything gets worse! Then they have an excuse to use for not fixing up the 1st Ward which is: "We tried to do something but "them" people never get along." a councilman/mayoral candidate that is running said that once. He knows who he is!


The funny thing is while all these 1st ward folks are taking sides they end up screwing themselves in the process. Either they are totally blind,clueless or so self centered on their hatred for each other they have no idea to how they are being played! Meanwhile those in power are laughing their asses off at them and keeping the 1st Ward exactly like it has been for decades!

If both of these groups were smart they would join forces and become a force to be reckoned with. It is just common sense. Now you all know why the first ward looks like s**t!

Wow... Good post Mnb811

[Caz5]

FYI - both the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 City Budgets have a line for "Legislative Consultant" - and BOTH budgets allot -0- (a big goose egg!) for those services. The City Attorney is earning $75,311 and an Assistant City Attorney is earning $39,300...yet (and I quote):

"Jaworski later initiated a measure to HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL to
handle legal aspects of the negotiation between the city, the Yemenite
group and the church."

The city attorney and assistant attorney already are being paid a total of $114,611 AND Petricca "recused" himself due to a "conflict of interest"?

[andreahaxton]

FYI - both the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 City Budgets have a line for "Legislative Consultant" - and BOTH budgets allot -0- (a big goose egg!) for those services. The City Attorney is earning $75,311 and an Assistant City Attorney is earning $39,300...yet (and I quote):

"Jaworski later initiated a measure to HIRE OUTSIDE COUNSEL to
handle legal aspects of the negotiation between the city, the Yemenite
group and the church."

The city attorney and assistant attorney already are being paid a total of $114,611 AND Petricca "recused" himself due to a "conflict of interest"?

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$

Their Cadillac Health benefits, 2 have Family coverage the other single
And.....
1 Legal Secretary $39,945 (husband City Marshall $55.00 a pop)
Accrued Payroll $1190

Contractual Expenses
Books and periodicals $3000
Arbitration Fees $2500


But the BIG MONEY is in the, SPECIAL ITEMS
CODE A 1900 page 18, 2011/12' Lackawanna City Budget
.1930 "Judgements and Claims".... $225,000! aka sort of hidden/slush fund money for outside attorneys to do the work that the can't OR won't do! Lawsuits come out of this too at times.

[Caz5]

Silence?

Again, how much $$$ is it going to cost the taxpayers to hire an outside attorney to do the job of the CITY ATTORNEY who is on the city payroll? Remember folks, this property is being sold to a non-profit organization, which translates into NO REVENUE for the City (other than the initial sale), so the money the city is having to cough up to hire an outside attorney is NOT going to be recouped via property taxes, is it????

How can there be a "conflict of interest" if the city attorney is supposed to represent the city???