Of course, there is a city council meeting this Tuesday.  (Usually there is NOT a third meeting in the month.)

Nothing is scheduled except for the second reading, and the votes, on several resolutions and ordinances that have been previously discussed.  Of course we never know when they may try to slip something by us, or even substantially change one of the previously “read” items, yet still call it the “second reading” and pass it without the proper number of votes required for an “emergency” to still have it take effect before the end of the year.

I feel certain that the new council members-elect will be in attendance to keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t put anything over on us taxpayers!!! 

Big Section 8 Meeting on Nov. 30 at the Middletown Community Center. Landlords and tenents are not happy with Mr. Adkins or Nelson & Assoc.
Mr. Adkins is going to address all the problems and changes that the City is going to make in this program.  

Middletown council set to vote on budget cuts

By Andy Sedlak, Staff Writer 9:00 PM Monday, November 28, 2011

    MIDDLETOWN — On Tuesday, City Council will vote on a proposed 2012 budget that calls for broad reductions to public safety and will provide financial direction to — among others — the Middletown Health Department, Weatherwax Golf Course and Robert “Sonny” Hill Community Center.
    The budget proposal was constructed to adhere to state-level funding cuts. A Journal’s analysis of Middletown’s general fund data concluded the city’s estimated drop-off of $1.6 million between 2011 and 2012 is the second-largest decline between two years in the past decade.
    The proposal includes roughly $3.7 million in cuts to the city’s budget. Public safety, more than 70 percent of the budget, received the brunt of the cuts.

Here’s how the reductions break down:
    • $1.1 million in non-public safety cuts
    • $2.6 million in public safety cuts, including $1.4 million for police and $1.2 million for fire
“Had it not been for the cuts at the state level, our budget would have grown rather than reduced,” said City Manager Judy Gilleland.
    That scenario was eliminated once the $3.2 million in state cuts was combined with the city’s growing deficit.
   
Division of Fire
    In reducing its budget from about $9.7 million to $9 million, nine firefighter positions would be lost and Station 84 on Tytus Avenue could close.
    “The method in which fire service may be provided is still being discussed,” Gilleland said, adding final decisions will be made once the budget is passed.
    Jon Harvey, president of Middletown Firefighters Local 336, said training will continue to diminish along with the time to maintain equipment.
    “When I first came on 16 years ago, you did a lot of work and you did a lot of runs,” he said. “We’re at the point now where all we can do is make runs ... we see our equipment breaking down a lot more.”

Division of Police
    The police department’s budget of about $12 million will increase by 0.1 percent next year largely because of grant money. More specifically, one federal grant awarded to the department in September will preserve four police jobs for at least three years.
    There are about $1.4 million in cuts proposed for the department and reductions in staff include four patrol officers, a humane officer and dispatcher.
    “We’re taking away some of the specialty positions and reassigning them to the street,” said police Chief David VanArsdale. Specialty positions include special operations and general assignment detectives.

Weatherwax Golf Course
    Debate swirled around Weatherwax Golf Course’s budget next year. Council members debated selling, maintaining or closing the course.
    Under tonight’s proposal, Weatherwax’s budget grows by about $24,000 to $1.6 million in 2012.
    Most of the additional money, according to Finance Director Russ Carolus, is $50,000 that has been allocated for golf-related capital expenditures.
    There is still about $1 million left to be paid on a renovation project stemming back to the mid-1990s. Officials have said leaving the course open to generate some additional revenue will aid in offsetting those losses.
    Mayor Larry Mulligan said Weatherwax’s future will continue to be questioned if the financial status of the city does not improve.

The Robert “Sonny” Hill Community Center
    The community center’s original allotment was $162,321 next year but council members voted on Nov. 1 to take about $25,000 from Weatherwax’s budget for the center’s benefit. It’s total budget is now $187,436.
    The actual money spent for the community center was $186,511 in 2010.

Health Department
    The health fund budget is $680,470 in 2012, according to Carolus.
    The general fund planned subsidy for 2012 is $115,000 — $50,000 less than in 2011 — with the rest of the money coming from fees and state grants.

Roads and Infrastructure
    About $2 million has been earmarked to go toward road improvements next year, Carolus said. Last year, mostly through grant money, more than $5 million was spent on roads.

Contact this reporter at 
(513) 705-2871 or Andrew
.Sedlak@coxinc.com.

LMAO-Firefighters, residents and business owners are expected to show up to Tuesday night's meeting of the Middletown City Council, but members of the council won't hear what they have to say.

LMAO
Well I have a question for you…Who did you vote for in the last election?
You seem surprised by this action of City Council and Ms Judy yet it wasn’t that long ago when this was the norm at all council meetings. Remember the famous words of Mayor Mulligan “We are not prepared to answer your questions on this matter”. If you think the citizens of Middletown will have a greater voice with the New City Council in place you had better think again. They will all be voting in lock step for what the City wants not with what the City of Middletown really needs. And when we have just 5 Council Member at large…we the peons of this community will have no voice at all.
 

Middletown council cuts police, fire jobs

By Andy Sedlak, Staff Writer Updated 10:31 PM Tuesday, November 29, 2011

    MIDDLETOWN — Middletown City Council Tuesday night narrowly approved a 2012 budget that reduces public safety personnel by nine firefighters and seven police employees.
    Council signed off on the budget by a vote of 4-3. Mayor Larry Mulligan, and Councilmen Tom Allen, Josh Laubach and Bill Becker favored the 2012 proposal. Councilwoman Anita Scott Jones, and Councilmen A.J. Smith and Dan Picard were in opposition.
    The vote cuts Middletown’s budget from $125.9 million this year to $121.7 million in 2012. The city’s general fund will be reduced from approximately $30.6 million to about $28.9 million.
    Throughout the budgeting process, speculation surrounded the future of Fire Station 84 on Tytus Avenue. Its closure was an option. However, officials on Tuesday said efforts were underway to keep the station open, but without firefighters.
    City Manager Judy Gilleland said she will be meeting with fire Chief Steve Botts in the coming days to discuss the fate of Station 84.
    “We will have a more firm answer within a week,” she said.
    Jon Harvey, president of Middletown Firefighters Local 336, called efforts to house the station with a two-person medic crew a “shell game.”
    “They’re moving fire equipment out and a medic unit in, so citizens in the south end of town are going to require a longer wait to get a medic unit and citizens in the northeast part of the city are going to have no fire protection,” he said.
    The reductions in public safety employees next year account for 11 percent of the city’s personnel in the fire department and 6 percent in the police department.
    Four police officers will be cut. If not for a federal grant awarded to police in September, the department would have fallen victim to a 9.5 percent cut to its personnel, or four more officers.
    While police positions will be filled through attrition, layoffs were necessary in the case of the fire department.
    Council’s crowded chambers Tuesday night included about a dozen Middletown firefighters. Originally, there were no plans to hear public comments as the meeting was seen as a continuation of council’s previous meeting on Nov. 15. A motion from Smith to allow public comments, however, passed unanimously.
    Sharon Cassidy, of Tytus Avenue, was one of about 10 who asked council to reconsider the public safety cuts. Officials have said fire cuts will impact response times.
    “Seconds count when it comes to heart attacks, choking victims, drowning and trauma,” she said.
    Council debated a projected $581,000 surplus at the end of 2012. Smith, Picard and Jones questioned whether the city should “bank” that money as public safety budgets are being slashed.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or andrew.sedlak@coxohio.com.

GroundSwat - I never realized there was a "Super balanced budget" is that different then a balanced budget?

...And did you notice the looks on a few of the council members faces after she made the statement…priceless…

I have listened to the budget talks at the meetings and really looked at what they  spend outside of  police and fire. Yes they could cut some things,but their are things like closing the golf course that would cost more money closed than it being open. I THINK THAT EVERYONE CONCERNED SHOULD ATTEND TOWNHALL MEETING WITH JOSH LAUBACH AND CHALLAGE HIM TO THE  IDEAS YOU HAVE.                                                                                                                       

Could not reach anyone by phone at the City Building the other day,
It seems that the employees were dancing and singing in the halls of City Hall and making their annual video. Were they on the clock?
Not a good thing to see, since the night before the City Council stated the the City was going broke.