Utica Councilman Frank Vescera Talks About Utica’s Financial Situation A Day Before The 2013 Budget Is Scheduled To Be Released

Utica Councilman Frank Vescera talking about Utica's financial situation just one day before Mayor Robert Palmieri is scheduled to release his 2013-2014 budget proposal. He joined WIBX First News with Keeler in the Morning on Monday:

• "You anticipate the best, prepare for the worst."
• "I think they're going to be very rough."
• Need to look at the way we address this. Unless you make structural changes to the way we do business, we're going to [go through] this next year, and the next year and the year after that.

Vescera thinks the council should have say in approving union contracts as a way to control costs. "One person negotiating all those contracts...is not a good thing."

As an example of one of his concerns over union contracts, Vescera uses the Utica Fire Department as an example: All firefighters who successfully pass a CPAT (physical examination test) shall receive a stipend of $500 for each year they pass the CPAT, Vescera said.

The councilman believes such a stipulation would never garner enough support to pass the council.

Vescera also wanted to clarify that his issue is with management officials, not with the union employees.