HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) -
Harrisburg City Council again rejected Mayor Linda Thompson's financial recovery plan at a meeting Tuesday night.
The vote went 4-3 against staging a revote, something Council President Gloria Martin-Roberts said was encouraged by some residents.
All council members voted just like they did in rejecting the mayor's plan two weeks ago.
Also on Tuesday night, council members discussed whether or not to approve a loan for the Harrisburg Parking Authority to get $7 million dollars for payroll and a debt payment, due Wednesday.
"One choice is a loan with an 8.5 percent interest rate or a general obligation bond default," said Councilwoman Patty Kim. "We can recover from an 8.5 percent interest rate. We cannot recover from a G-O bond default."
"I'm really, really torn on this," councilwoman Susan Brown-Wilson said. "My vote tonight on ACT 47 was real easy cause I can explain to all of you why I voted 'no' on that. This one here I don't have all the information I need."
Kim and Brown-Wilson ended up voting to approve the loan, but councilman Brad Koplinski voted against it, saying he felt the money was there to make the bond payment and payroll for the short-term.
"I'd like to give the Parking Authority another opportunity to come up with potentially a lower rate," Koplinski said. "Although they told us that may not be possible."
In the end, the vote went 5-2 to approve the loan.
Martin-Roberts said a lot of banks were not interested in loaning to the city after Council rejected two recovery plans.
