YOUNGSTOWN Panel: Use surplus for housing demolition
Council hasn't decided what to do with the rest of the surplus.
By PETER H. MILLIKEN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council's finance committee is recommending that the full council authorize spending $400,000 of the city's general fund surplus for housing demolition.
Committee Chairman James E. Fortune Sr., D-6th, said the demolition of blighted properties will be done both by the city using its street department equipment and by outside contractors.
Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, estimated it costs about $2,500 to $3,000 to demolish the average single-family house.
Rest of funds: At Tuesday's committee meeting, Fortune said council has not decided what to do with the remaining $475,000 of the $875,000 surplus.
Finance Director Barbara Burtner has said she'd like to maintain an adequate reserve from the surplus as a cushion in case of unforeseen or emergency spending needs.
Fortune said it's possible some of the surplus could become a rainy-day fund, but, he noted, "The mayor didn't ask us for a rainy-day fund."
The committee also recommended authorizing buying six dump trucks, six snow-plow trucks, 12 large riding mowers, a crack-filling machine and four tractors, all for the street department, for a total of $751,290.
The equipment would be bought through the state's cooperative purchasing program.
"We don't have to spend that kind of money if we take care of our equipment on a year-to-year basis. Rolling stock should be checked every year," Fortune observed.
Fortune suggested that the city begin replacing a few items of equipment each year to make sure it has reliable, well-functioning equipment, thereby avoiding buying large amounts of equipment all at once.
"Every year, we should be replacing a snow truck. If we learn how to buy the right way, it won't be so much of a strain on our budget," Fortune concluded.