TROY – Mayor Patrick Madden said City Council President Carmella Mantello acted illegally Wednesday in thwarting administration plans to resolve the city’s 2018 budget deficit, while she countered that she was defending the City Council’s independence by following the City Charter.

The standoff between the two officials means the city will enter 2018 with a continued $2.9 million deficit in its 2018 budget of $78.6 million.

“She acted illegally and stopped the city clerk from calling a meeting,” Madden said Wednesday night.

“The mayor’s not able to call a special committee meeting,” Mantello said. She said the mayor cannot set fees.

Mantello, a Republican, told City Clerk Patti O’Brien that the Finance Committee meeting called by Madden, a Democrat, for Thursday night was cancelled and she was scheduling a committee meeting for Tuesday night. In an exchange of emails between Corporation Counsel James Caruso and Mantello each cited charter sections and rules regarding who can and cannot call a committee meeting.

But one thing was clear, if O’Brien did not send out the meeting packets to the council members there couldn’t be a meeting.

Madden said he had reached a bipartisan compromise with council members to resolve the budget problems with a new $160 trash fee. Madden said with the support of Republican Councilmen Dean Bodnar and John Donohue and Democratic Councilman Robert Doherty and Councilwoman Erin Sullivan-Teta and Lynn Kopka there was a majority to adopt the new trash fees.

“The legislation my administration submitted today to the Troy City Council will deliver a financially-responsible balanced budget for 2018. This proposed bipartisan solution – which addresses anticipated cost increases in municipal solid waste delivery, rising mandated healthcare and pension payments, and expands capacity in key quality of life sectors like parks and green spaces – is a pragmatic approach to confronting the City’s long-term financial challenges while addressing concerns of the State Comptroller’s office outlined in their recent letter,” Madden said in a statement.

“Development of this bipartisan legislation is the result of thoughtful dialogue and negotiations with a majority of Councilmembers who understand the importance of delivering a balanced budget and its impact on the future prosperity and growth of our community,” the mayor said.

Mantello said the mayor is trying to take advantage of a lame duck City Council to ram through the trash fee at the last moment of the legislative year. She said the mayor has never spoken to her about resolving the budgetary deficit.

Under the legislation proposed by Madden, the trash fee would raise $2.8 million and additional $600,000 would be cut. Mantello said the incoming Democratic-majority council could decide to vote on the resolutions if it wants after it convenes in 2018. Under the charter, there must be seven days between the Finance Committee meeting and the City Council meeting.