CIRCLE JERK: $3M extra for Strafford roundabout a slap in the face to city taxpayers

There is currently a $3M shortfall to complete the Strafford Square roundabout project. The question is why wasn't it in the budget passed in June? (City of Rochester rendering)

Editor's note: The source of the funding for the $3 million supplemental for the Strafford Roundabout is proposed from bonding. An earlier version of this story misstated the funding source. We apologize for any confusion.

Just days after Rochester's beloved trike-pedaling ambassador of good will
Joe Hooper died a year ago last Thursday residents clamored on social media that the Strafford Square roundabout be renamed Hooper's Circle or, more informally, the Hoopa-Loop.
So it's ironic but not surprising that the city is now playing rope-a-dope with the Hoop-a-Loop, padding the budget for the sprawling project by borrowing an extra $3 million.
But what's most annoying about this is the capital improvement project should have been in the budget that was passed in June.
Early every year the city manager is directed to collect operating and capital improvement projects from city department heads as they all work to come up with budgets that stay within Rochester's tax cap, designed to keep taxes down to the rate of inflation.
At a recent public hearing on the $3 million override, resident Rick Perreault
derided the move to borrow additional money outside the budget process.
"We have a $3 million dollar supplemental, so no one knew we were going to need extra money?" he asked the City Council. "If you can't get it in the (capital improvements) budget, let them get it in their next year's budget. Somebody knew they didn't have enough, and they should have put it in the budget."
Is this a lack of foresight? Incompetence? Arrogance?
No, none of the above. What it is is dishonest and corrupt. Plain and simple.
If you worked for a private company, priced out a project and suddenly found you needed an extra $3 million you'd be fired.
"If you can't do the job, they (department heads) should pay through their paycheck," Perreault quipped. "Incompetence cannot be condoned."
During the same July 19 public hearing State Rep Cliff Newton of Rochester pointed out that the city is looking for $5.5 million in supplemental appropriations since the budget was passed a little over a month ago.
"Last year, we were doing three a month," he told the council. "At some point you have to ask why."
Section 40 of Rochester's City Charter states that, "At such time as the City Manager requests, or the Administrative Code specifies, each officer or director of a department shall submit an itemized estimate of the expenditures for the next fiscal year for the departments or activities under his control."
So it appears Peter Nourse, director of public services, had no clue about a $3 million dollar project shortfall in March, or April, or May.
Stop jerking the taxpayers of Rochester around. It's dishonest. It's corrupt. And it has to stop.

- HT