Tradition holds that newly elected politicians be evaluated after 100 days in office. It's an arbitrary time period, but as good as any to take a look at how the newbie is doing: whether the transition to a new administration has been bumpy or smooth; whether the new leader has kept or broken his or her campaign promises; what priorities he or she is setting for the future.
In Springfield, Mayor Domenic Sarno's first 100 days were marked by an article in the Republican as well as a report from the mayor in which he outlined his efforts to date.
Of course, evaluating Sarno's performance after 100 days is of limited use; the ultimate power in Springfield resides with the Finance Control Board, which was imposed on the city by the Legislature in 2004 in an effort to stop its fiscal free fall. While the mayor (as well as the president of the City Council) sits on the Board, he's just one of five members, and lacks the authority to make the big decisions—like hiring and firing key City Hall employees—that typically fall to a mayor.
The true test of the Sarno administration will come next summer, when the Control Board is set to dissolve, returning to the mayor and City Council the powers that have been suspended for the past four years. But residents are getting a sneak peek of what's to come: this spring, the Control Board agreed to let Sarno and the Council have a practice run at putting together a municipal budget, with the understanding that the Board could intervene if necessary.
Late last month, Sarno unveiled his proposed $532 million budget. He and his financial team have put together a balanced budget, without any layoffs—an impressive achievement given the plight of other Valley communities that haven't faced Springfield's woes. In keeping with a key campaign promise, Sarno's plan will also add 50 new cops to city streets, some new hires and some reassigned from desk duty.
On the down side, the new mayor failed to keep another loudly trumpeted campaign promise, to eliminate the controversial $90 annual trash fee introduced in 2007. Instead, he proposes a pay-as-you-throw system that would base property owners' trash fees on the amount of garbage they have. It's a good idea, one that would ensure, for instance, that elderly residents whose daily trash amounts to a used tea bag and some Kleenex wouldn't have to pay the same as their neighbors whose cans overflow with Huggies. The policy should also encourage recycling among residents looking to save money.
Sarno loses points, though, for trying to dodge accusations that he broke a campaign promise to end the fee. "Asked if he was breaking a campaign pledge, Sarno said he stated in his inaugural address in January that he would move toward a sound, responsible economic way to alleviate or modify the trash fee," reporter Pete Goonan wrote in the Republican; in contrast, check out the campaign-trail video of Sarno saying he'd "repeal this unfair fee" in a May 22 post on Tom Devine's blog, www.tommydevine.blogspot.com.
Sarno's budget is now in the hands of city councilors, who have the power to cut but not to add or amend any items. Next, it will go to the Control Board, which will have the final say. So far, the budget process has revealed some rockiness in the mayor's relationship with the Council. First, Sarno banned councilors from attending his working sessions with city department heads about their budget needs; in the past, councilors were welcome to attend these meeting (although only a handful usually did). Then, when Sarno presented his budget to the councilors just before Memorial Day, some chafed at the directive that they were not to ask questions.
The bickering could be dismissed as basic politics: Sarno still has a newcomer's vulnerability, and would-be opponents with an eye on the 2009 election are determined to exploit that. But as Springfield's city government prepares to resume its full powers, tension between the executive and legislative branches is not exactly a promising sign. Sarno's office responded to calls from the Advocate by saying that "the mayor was unavailable."
mturner@valleyadvocate.com
