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Brooklyn Is Big LoserIn Council/Board OfEstimate Power PlaysContinued from Page Itax, the Mayor said that there would be no %u201cbudget enahncements%u201d which have traditionally run at about $90 million, according to Gerges. The enhancements are extras added to the budget to fund local programs.%u201cThe Council told the Mayor to replace some of his programs so that we could put some of our priorities into the budget,%u201d says Stephen DiBrienza, the councilmember from Park Slope, Carroll Gardens and Red Hook. %u201cThe problem was that it still was the Mayor%u2019s document, no one else had said what they felt was important.%u201dSo, in the last few days of the budget negotiations, the Mayor found an additional $31.6 million in his budget for enhancements. This money was split evenly between the Board of Estimate and the City Council, each having approximately $15.8 million to spend. The Council chose to use its half to give financial support to broad programs, while Golden used his more specifically in Brooklyn. Neither the Borough President or the Council funded the smaller borough projects that have relied on discretionary funds for economic health. Those activities left out in the cold this year include funding for Brooklyn%u2019s local development corporation.CAN%u2019T SPEND IT ALLTraditionally, the Board of Estimate members have divided their funds into discretionary accounts that the borough presidents could spend as they chose. Last* Rrnnklvn TPCPivAH nhnnt tR mill!%u2014 %u25a0year; ___, ............ VM M M V U li yw ittu liU n J D ilithis year%u2019s budget cuts reduced the funds roughly 40 percent. Brooklyn was given $2.94 million.The Council tossed support primarily on city-wide programs that DiBrienza says include education, law enforcement, park maintenance and senior citizens care. %u201cThe Council%u2019s priorities were city-wide and the borough presidents%u2019 were more parochial,%u201d adds Gerges.In previous years, the Mayor has provided a base budget and the City Council has added to it in conjunction with the borough presidents. Gerges says that a separate negotiation with the borough presidents was to have occurred this year, but did not.%u201cThe Council members wanted to set priorities with the Borough President,%u201d says Pinkett, of Brooklyn%u2019s Howard Golden, %u201cbut unfortunately it did not take place this year.\been a discussion between theborough president and Brooklyncouncilmembers. The council wantedto set priorites with the boroughpresident, but unfortunately it didnot take place this year. %u201d%u2014Pinkett%u201cThere was a marked differencefrom the past, there were times when /was very frustrated. I don V believewe got our fair-share o f city-widedollars for Brooklyn, but this yearthe process was so different becausecuts were made in the overallbudget. %u201d ~ %u2014Gerges%u201cThe legislative body is really the parto f City Government that disposes o fthe budget. Under the new leadershipquestions about the process wereallowed and the council did notrubberstamp the budget. It's not goingto happen next year either. %u201d%u2014DiBrienzaIt was a difficult year.%u201dWhen the Councilmembers realized that certain Brooklyn enhancements were not included in the budget, local delegates asked for and received promises from Vallone that %u2666hgv PfliiW %u2666%u00ab%u2022** A. uy io get additional money at a later time.%u201cI did not think we got our fair share of city-wide dollars for Brooklyn,%u201d says Gerges.Borough President Howard Golden says that he opposed the City Council%u2019s request to split the $31.6 million enhancement fund and adds that if he had received all the money himself he would have made sure that all the Brooklyn projects were funded in full.COUNCIL WANTS POWER But it is precisely this authority that the City Council appears intent on fighting. %u201cIt is a marked difference from the past,%u201d says Gerges. %u201cThe legislative body should really be responsible for disposing of the budget, not the borough presidents,%u201d says DiBrienza. %u201cThe Council has become more aggressive and with the scandals, much of the influence of County leaders like Manes and Friedman has been eliminated,%u201d adds Gerges Gerges says that what people haveoverlooked in their evaluations of the budget is that this year, overall cuts were made. Not only were the various discretionary and enhancement funds cut for the City Council and borough presidents, but the Mayor had tocut a large f* bud8ets %u201c %u201d %u00b1 .Gerges says that what people nav*. overlooked in their evaluations of the budgetThe legislative body shouldreally be responsible fordisposing of the budget, notthe borough presidents,%u2014Councilman DiBrienzais that this year, overall cuts were made. Not only Were the various discretionary and enhancement funds cut for the City Council and borough presidents, but the Mayor had to cut a large number of city budgets as well.Gerges, DiBrienza and Pinkett all stress they are not completely happy with the final product. Gerges is most bothered by the hotel tax which he believes will hinder what hesays is the major industry in New York City, tourism.DiBrienza says that he is satisfied with about 90 percent of the budget, objecting to only a few programs that were not city-wide including $100,000 for Manhattan Legal Aid. Pinkett says that she tried to make sure her' f ----nr+ of thecouncil district priorities were pc*budjget, but %u201cwhat we found were some very difficult choices.%u201dNext year%u2019s budget process does not look much brighter. Gerges says that money will still be tight and DiBrienza thinks that the struggle between the Council and the Board of Estimate will continue.However, a pending Federal court lawsuit taking issue with the constitutionality of the Board of Estimate%u2019s authority might settle the dispute. At issue is whether the disproportionate powers invested in each member %u2014 the Mayor, the City Council President and the Comptroller have two votes each and the borough presidents each have one %u2014 violates the one man, one vote rule in legislative m atters. A decision is expected soon on the issue and is likely to help resolve the conflict very much in the Council%u2019s favor.Golden Blames Council For Brooklyn Funding ShortfallBY LIZ KOCHWhen looking at the dollar sum Brooklyn received this year in the City of New York budget for the new fiscal year, Borough President Howard Golden says with some degree of exasperation, %u201cYou can%u2019t make a dollar stretch to a dollar fifty.%u201d He likens this year%u2019s City budget process, where the Mayor%u2019s executive budget ran a deficit of $100 million, to the City%u2019s fiscal crisis when circumstances forced deep cuts in budget items.%u201cGramm-Rudman hurt us. The State has not given us the money it did in the past and the Mayor%u2019s budget had to be cut,%u201d he says. The combination produced %u201cthe toughest budget since the fiscal crisis.%u201dGolden also points to a new development in the budgetary process, one which entitled the City Council to disburse $15 million at its own discretion, separate from the Board of Estimate, as a problem. In the Mayor%u2019s executive budget this year, a huge cuts in the budget when the State Legislature allowed only a $65 million hotel tax to cover the difference. The final trimming of the budget provided only a small pool of approximately $30 million for the Board of Estimate and City Council to address their priorities. The Council then requested that the money be split evenly, rather than continue a tradition of what Council members have %u201crubber stamping%u201d the Board of Estimate budget and what Golden describes as more of a cooperative effort.AGREED TO GO ALONGthe Council leadership time we%u2019ll go along. In fact what it did ultimately was short change us,%u201d Golden says, with most of the Council%u2019s share going out elsewhere all across the City instead of to specific local %u2014 and Brooklyn %u2014 activities. He adds that in previous years the Board ofI opposedsplitting thebudget, but theCouncil Leaderswanted it. I saidthis time w ell goalong. In factwhat it did wasto ultimatelyshortchange us.Estimate funded projects not included in the adopted budget.It became clear early this year that Brooklyn%u2019s cultural institutions would be among those hardest hit in the upcoming budget. Their operating budgets were cut in the Mayor%u2019s executive budget, cuts which were not restored either in Golden%u2019s $2.9 million discretionary budget nor in the City Council%u2019s $15 million budget, or finally in the City%u2019s adopted budget that went into effect on July 1.The Brooklyn Museum which had an operating budget of $5.7 million in Fiscal Year 1985-86 took a six percent cut this year that amounted to a loss of $301,000. The neighboring Brooklyn Botanic Garden took a $75,000 cut in its $1.9 million budget and the Children%u2019s Museum lost $66,835 from its operating budget. Children%u2019s Museum public affairs director Donald Woods says that although the museum will not cut back on its services, it may consider not filling staff vacancies, possibly in the education department.Brooklyn%u2019s Local Development Corporations (LDC)that have worked to revitalize neighborhood shopping strips were the surprise losers this year in the budget when they received no funding from the Borough President%u2019s reduced discretionary fund. Golden received slightly more than half of what he did in Fiscal Year 1985-86, he says, and there was no money left for these activities..Countering accusations that the LDCs wereMJ I1M M MB M U U JTVUI %J M U U ^ V dallocations, Golden says: %u201cObviously having been the founder and advocate for LDC%u2019s, you know these were a priority of mine. I think normal people and rational people would say it was a very meager budget.%u201dGolden divided the $2.9 million discreContinued on Page 6August 7,1986, TH E PHO ENIX, Page 5