Mayor Chris Doherty spent more than two hours on the stand Monday as a hearing over disputed amendments to Scranton’s budget dragged through another all-day session in Lackawanna County Court.
Questions pitched to the city’s chief executive followed the arguments staked out by both sides weeks ago, before the budget battle between Scranton City Council and the Doherty administration even reached court.
City lawyers asked Mr. Doherty if discussions took place between council and the administration before lawmakers proposed trimming nearly $700,000 from the mayor’s 2010 budget, as well as what impact cuts to spending would have on city departments.
The administration is seeking an injunction, contending council violated the city’s Home Rule Charter and placed the health, safety and welfare of city residents at risk by reopening and making cuts to the $77.9 million budget approved by the previous council in December.
Mr. Doherty also alleges council “failed to consider the effect of removing funding from city departments” over which it has “no authority.”
Council solicitor Boyd Hughes has said Section 502 of the city’s Home Rule Charter gives council the right to “establish, alter or abolish any city department office or agency.”
In the main thrust of his cross-examination, Mr. Hughes asked the mayor to confirm that in previous years he himself – as a councilman and later as mayor – approved numerous changes to budgets after they had been passed by the mayor and council.
Read more in the Scranton Times
Tags: Chris Doherty
Loading ...
