Work out budget, councilman urges

The mayor has said council must decide the level of city services.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The chairman of city council's finance committee wants to try something different with next year's budget.
"We need to sit down and decide what our priorities are," said Councilman Robert A. Marchese, D-at large.
Budget requests from general fund departments for 2003 totaled about $31 million and the city auditor has certified roughly $28 million.
Marchese said he wants the finance committee and administration to sit down and work on the budget.
"We need to determine what's most important and start with what we absolutely have to have -- the needs," he said. "Then we'll be better able to deal with the wants."
The majority of council must approve the budget. Marchese said that in the past, finance committee members have received a proposed budget from the administration and reviewed it page by page, questioning certain elements.
That process was tedious, he said.
Defining needs
Marchese sees police and fire as the primary needs and also mentioned roads and parks as areas council may view as priorities. Finance committee members can tell the administration what they want and the administration will tell them what it costs.
Mayor Hank Angelo has it's up to council members to determine the level of city services. A meeting to begin the budget process with council is set for 4 p.m. Nov. 15. Angelo said he would get documents to council members by the end of this week.
The budget must be approved by the end of the year.
Some council members have pointed to a performance audit conducted by the state which suggested the city should employ 84 police officers.
That's also the number touted to voters during the campaign to pass the income tax in 2001. The force includes 72 officers.
Marchese acknowledged that the process could be lengthy as there may be differences of opinion particularly when it gets down to wants.