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    Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 12:11am

City preps for budget cuts

By Ed Richter
Staff Writer
11:39 PM Thursday, April 23, 2009

Middletown City Council’s Finance Subcommittee met Thursday, April 23, to review the city’s budget and look at ways to cut it by $704,000.

The city is projecting a budget shortfall of between $750,000 and $1 million for the general fund that pays for city operations and services.

City Manager Judy Gilleland asked department heads for suggestions to cut 2 percent or $574,379 of their budgets, which are part of the $29.9 million general fund.

She received suggestions for 2.4 percent in cuts that included buying fewer police cruisers; not filling several vacant positions; and reducing overtime, professional services, supplies and capital equipment purchases.

Gilleland said she did not feel any decisions had to be made yet as the city will know more in mid-May how it fared in its income tax collections. Personal tax returns were due April 15, but quarterly income tax payments are due on April 30. She also suggested another meeting May 13 before making a final recommendation.

Finance Director Russ Carolus said property taxes for the 2009 first half settlement are down in Butler and Warren counties, at $28,525 and $106,000, respectively.

The city also learned April 22 that construction of the proposed SunCoke plant may not begin until early 2010.

Other suggestions to raise revenues included charging residents to cover the $578,976 cost each year for street lighting; and generating $240,000 by reducing the income tax credit by 0.25 percent for residents who don’t work in the city.

A suggestion to raise the city’s income tax by 0.25 percent to 2 percent to raise $3 million was briefly mentioned, but not discussed.

The topic of dipping into the city’s reserve fund of $7.19 million was broached but members seemed to want to find other cuts first .

Gee, what's next???
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 4:47am
Ms. Gilleland did state early on that she didn't "anticipate making any decisions today."  However, later in the meeting after discussing all of the items under the list headed: "2% General Fund Reduction Goals", there WAS a decision made, they just did so without a formal "yeas" and "nays" of the six council members in attendance. 
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 5:18am
Hmmmm.....All the communities around us knew this was coming last year. They reduced and froze wages and even cut department....Why didn't we?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 6:35am
Generating revenue by reducing the income tax credit on people who work out of the city. I've said it before and I'll say it again Gilleland- this tax is discriminatory and may lead to legal action. As to the city income tax- you can't make a statement that the city income tax rate is 1.75% for everyone, then make an exception by reducing the tax credit thereby increasing the tax rate for people who must work out of the city for better wages or because their job specialty is not offered in Middletown.(or because the city only offers crappy $7/hour jobs) I didn't see a suggestion that you dump some of those salaries/benefits of those multiple director/assist director positions that you have in your departments. to cut the budget. How about pay reductions for some of those overpaid government positions in the city building. Double up on admin. assistant duties- have the directors supervise directly and dump the assist director, supervisor and team leader slots. Too many layers of worthless management between the boss and the worker in each department.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 7:06am
Viet Vet -
 
Your assessment of the situation at City Hall is right on target!  Keep up the good fight!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 7:20am
Mike what was the decsision and one again how can 6 Council Members be at a Finance meeting and not make it an officual Council Meeting?
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 8:22am
Can we expect our local news media to begin exposing the back room deals made at City Hall without fear of reprisals from the big shots that currently control the political scene?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 3:03pm
1. Contact channels 5-9-12-19 in Cincy and 2-7 and 45 in Dayton.

2. Direct them to this site and ask them to review the posts, paying specific attention to the current topics on budgets, Section 8, Block Grant funds/spending and the current manner in which the city as a whole is run.

3. Wait for a sure fired response from these stations with comments from them pertaining to running a story on their news programs for the purpose of airing this town's dirty laundry.

This site alone should provide enough fuel to fire on all cylinders.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 409 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 24 2009 at 4:01pm
This city runs like a Wankel Rotary Engine.
Always putting a spin on everything!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tomahawk35 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 12:00am

Charging for street lighting? Isn't this a double taxation, I thought they pay the lighting bill  with money that we are already taxed on.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 4:11am
Originally posted by Pacman Pacman wrote:

Mike what was the decsision and one again how can 6 Council Members be at a Finance meeting and not make it an officual Council Meeting?
Pac:
After a review and long discussion of the list headed: "2% General Fund Reduction Goals" Ms. Judy stated that her preference was to try to balance the budget without making any cuts to staff.  (I know that Viet Vet will love that!) She continued: "It sounds like it's the DECISION of all of council to proceed with this 2%?" She then glanced around the table at the usual bobbing heads and blank stares, and said: "Okay, I'll have staff start working in that direction."
 
I'll try to scan the list, and if successful, I'll post it here.
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 4:58am
Here it is (I hope):

2% General Fund Reduction Goals

Total

Department

Division

2009 Budget

2%

Department

Reductions

How

City Council

Council

$

192,839

$

3,857

s

3,857

$

8,935

Clerk Position unfilled Jan - May

City Manager

City Manager

$

259,740

$

5,195

$

5,195

$

5,195

Reduction in professional services

Comm Revit

Citizen Service

$

279,635

$

5,593

Inspection Srvcs

s

451,562

$

9,031

Comm Admin

$

178,441

$

3,569

Comm Center

$

180,355

$

3,607

Rehab

$

440,620

$

8,812

$

30,612

$

119,065 2 unfilled positions+position difference

Finance

Admin

$

193,855

$

3,877

Treasury

$

243,043

$

4,861

Info Systems

$

627,098

$

12,542

Purchasing

$

60,439

$

1,209

$

22,489

$

22,489 Reduction in equip & prof services

Law

Personnel

$

413,634

$

8,273

Law

$

581,470

$

11,629

$

19,902

$

19,902

Reduce personnel OT, Legal & Med Services

Planning

Admin

$

182,036

$

3,641

Reduce prof services & savings from purchase

Planning

$

289,498

$

5,790

$

9,431

$

15,567

orders - under estimated costs

Economic Dev.

Admin

$

241,122

$

4,822

$

4,822

$

8,414

Salary Differential & vehicle allowance

Fire

Admin

$

366,843

$

7,337

Operation

$

8,406,664

$ 168,133

$59,000 savings of medic unit remount,

$124,916 for putting 4th EMS unit online &

Training

$

422,277

$

8,446

$

183,916

$

183,916

operational improvements to billing

Police

Admin

$

317,328

$

6,347

Investigations

$

1,641,307

$

32,826

Patrol

$

6,529,551

$ 130,591

Services

$

406,063

$

8,121

Dispatch

$

1,179,348

$

23,587

Humane

$

83,704

$

1,674

Jail

s

1,184,627

$

23,693

Buy 3 instead of 7 crusiers, unfilled 1/2

dispatcher, crossing guards paid by schools if

Crossing Guard

$

37,425

$

749

$

227,587

$

233,000

approved, new impound lot

Public Works

Recreation

$

167,354

$

3,347

Bldg Maint

$

762,780

$

15,256

Engineering

s

794,743

$

15,895

Reduce Maint of bldgs, reduce recreation part

Parks

s

538,557

$

10,771

s

45,269

$

45,269

time, reduce engineering services

Auto & Gas

Income Tax

$

514,000

$

10,280

$

10,280

Revenues can be offset with FEMA money

Transit

Income Tax

$

196,000

$

3,920

'$

25,000

Fuel grant offset

Airport

Income Tax

$

90,000

$

1,800

$

1,800

Additional rental receipts (at 100%)

Health

Income Tax

$

265,000

$

5,300

$

5,300

additional grant revenue & expense reductions

s 574,379

$

704,132

H:\Finance\Admin\EXCEL\BUDGET\2009 Budget\General Fund 2% Reduction projected

Sorry, this is the best I could do!  When I tried to scan it as a document, it would only "cut and paste" as a hodge-podge.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 10:26am
As usual it is just cuts to keep their heads above water barely and wait for the next emergency or loss of revenues.  What ever happen to looking ahead?
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 10:30am

You speak the truth Pacman!

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 11:09am
Like Mrs. Moon recently said, the folks at City Hall will balance(??) the budget with Federal dollars direct from China!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 11:24am
perplext--our city doesn't need the $$ at this time.
they are flush, no matter how much they cry.
the fure is ???, but 4 now we are fine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 11:28am

Ok Spider you lost me or I don't get the Joke.Confused

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

Thomas Jefferson
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 1:15pm
as usual, the joke is on the citizens, pacman.
 
city has the $$$
they simply want to spend it on their pet projects and self-preservation instead of their basic services and obligations.
 
As Mike may back me up, there is $44 buried within this maze of funds and categories. all made too complicated to understand or explain.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pacman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 2:14pm
You mean we have $120 Million to redo all of the roads and none of us know about it? Damn..........LOL
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote spiderjohn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 2:28pm
Not what I implied
$$$ instead of $44
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VietVet Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:02pm
OK- let's start with cutting the admin in each department and assigning remaining admin to support several staffers. All city employees should be having payroll deductions to help pay for the bennies packages offered to them. We have to in private industry. Law department has listed LAW- what is this and why does it cost so much? Under Comm Revit- combine Citizen Services/Comm Center/Comm Admin- reduce employee numbers and increase job duties. Finance- Info Systems- why the high cost of $627,098? Review systems for current need/program efficiency/newer technology.Cut obsolete waste. Econ Dev.- $241,122- do they do this much work to warrant that amount? Fire/Police- pretty much stuck with the cost of Patrol/Fire operation I guess. Investigations- over a million? Really? Justify it. Jail- over a million? Dispatch- over a million? Justify 'em. Public Works- all categories- all high cost- ??
Auto & Gas- a half a million? Justify- this includes what??? Health- $265,000 - for doing what?? Parks- (sorry Armbruster)- $538,557- for doing what at the parks? Just some questions- just some observations for the purpose of getting answers. And for cryin' out loud- monitor the city government people's time coming and going!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Perplexed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:20pm
To Viet Vet -
 
Excellent comments regarding excessive City staffing and other questionable expenses!  Sad to say, the power brokers will vigorously oppose any "true citizen oversight" in protecting the status quo.  If not sooner, let November be the beginning of a new era of open, honest and cost-effective municipal government in Middletown!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vivian Moon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:44pm
Vet
"And for cryin' out loud- monitor the city government people's time coming and going!!!"

LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Vet...I reeeallyneeded a good laugh today.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Mike_Presta Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 8:32pm

Originally posted by Pacman Pacman wrote:

You mean we have $120 Million to redo all of the roads and none of us know about it? Damn..........
Pacman:

The best way that I can answer this question is by re-posting something that I posted in July of 2007 on The Journal‘s forum:

************************************

READ THIS! Then help me find a way to trust these people!

Posted by: Mike_Presta

Date: July 13, 2007 12:15AM

Fellow citizens, my eyes did NOT deceive me! Here are the very figures that were flashed across the screen for just a few seconds during the last council meeting:


FUND_____RESOURCES_____EXPENDITURES
General:.........$ 31,997,467..................$ 29,118,466
Debt Serv:...........3,056,177........................2,891,728
Fiduciary:............1,359,755...........................483,728
Special Rev:....41,812,251......................40,574,960
Capital:............37,415,282......................30,358,030
Enterprise:......29,047,648......................25,548,688
Internal Serv:....9,501,076.........................7,914,313
Total:..........$ 154,169,656..................$136,889,887

These figures were NOT included in the workbook available to the public on the city’s web site. For some reason, such figures never are, unless they show what council wants us to believe.

Please do NOT take my word for these figures! See them with your own eyes here:
"http://www.middletownusa.com/view_news.asp?a=2528" [2009 NOTE: The above figures show up at about 01:38 of the video.]

Next, please understand that there was absolutely NO discussion by council before they unanimously approved these numbers. Not even ONE council member had even one question, nor indicated any confusion regarding these figures.

Please note that expected resources EXCEED expected expenditures in every category, including the GENERAL FUND!

Can anyone look at these figures and explain to me how I am to believe that we will be operating at a deficit in 2008?

Can anyone look at these figures and explain to me how I am to believe we are in a “budget crisis” when our city’s total 2007 budget is about $115 million (if you believe the 2007 budget resolution unanimously passed by council last December) or about $85 million (if you believe Mr. Lyon’s answer to my question at a “Conversation with Council” this spring) yet we are already seeing expenditures in EXCESS 0f $136 MILLION, with a SURPLUS of nearly $20 million for 2008?

*************************************************
So, when one can ask "what is the City's TOTAL budget" an get two answers, plus a third (using words such as "resources and expenditures" instead of "budget") and get THREE answers with a $50 MILLION spread, I think that it is safe to say that no one KNOWS how much is "tucked away in some of our funds" and seems to be "found" just in time to save council's butt every time they paint themselves into a corner!!!
 
Bottom line is, our city needs an accounting system that allows simple questions to have ONE, and only one, simple answer that is transparent and obvious.
 
PS:  FYI, no one was able to "help me understand" and the projected 2008 budget deficit NEVER OCCURED!!  We acctually had an "unexpected" surplus in 2008!!
“Mulligan said he ... doesn’t believe they necessarily make the return on investment necessary to keep funding them.” …The Middletown Journal, January 30, 2012
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Smartman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 9:20pm
Never fear y'all. Auntie Annie and her gang will fix all! She know best. Her sidekid Sam Ashworth is special friends with Ms Gilliland!
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