Ogdensburg on target with state standards

OGDENSBURG — Ogdensburg is on target with the state's required “Best Practice Review” as of the Council's meeting on Monday, Sept. 28.

Also at the meeting, Mayor Steve Ciasullo explained some of the problems with the review which started in 2009 under former Gov. Jon Corzine.

Councilman Robert McGuire said after answering all of the questions, Ogdensburg would receive the maximum amount of money back from the state.

Ciasullo said before the state implemented the “Best Practice Review,” the state used to give back Ogdensburg $400,000 to $500,000, much more money than it does now.

Now Ogdensburg has to spend money in order to try to get financial aid back from the state. For example, if a small town does not have a website, it loses points on the review, and thus, loses financial aid.

“And it's funny, the state of NJ trying to teach towns how to be more efficient," Ciasullo said. "One of the things that drives me nuts.”

He also added that Ogdensburg does pretty well on the review every year.

Finally, he read an example of one of the questions Ogdensburg has to answer from the “Best Practices Review,” which spoke of eliminating employee contractual obligations based on collective bargaining.

“Take away, take away, take away, and we'll give you money,” Ciasullo said. He concluded this was the “kind of crazy stuff,” the state bases state aid on: how local governments handle their collective bargaining.