WARREN Budget to increase safety forces

Budget talks will continue at 4 p.m. Monday.
By AMANDA C. DAVIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The city's proposed $26 million general fund budget for 2002 includes provisions for bringing back 12 police officers and eight firefighters.
The understaffed departments are getting a boost, thanks to a 0.5 percent income tax increase approved by voters in May.
Layoffs were issued in 2000 because of financial straits, but those furloughed were recalled in May when the increase passed.
Many officers and firefighters elected not to return to their jobs or found employment elsewhere.
Officials say the proposed budget allocates 1.56 percent of the 2 percent city income tax to safety service personnel.
Civil Service tests for both departments determine who's eligible to move on and submit to physical agility and drug tests, background checks and interviews.
Because this is a lengthy process, the city cannot hire and train as many officers as it needs to during the upcoming year. Officials say they are still committed to restoring police and fire staffing to 1999 levels.
Here's the situation: The city received $29 million in budget requests, but had to pare those to meet the $26 million the city expects to bring in next year.
The city is still negotiating with the patrol officers' union and included raises it proposed in the 2002 budget.
Mayor Hank Angelo said during Tuesday's council finance committee meeting that the city would need to decide later what to do if the matter goes to conciliation and officers get higher-than-expected raises.
Bob Stahl, a superintendent in the city's operations department, worked on the budget with other city officials.
& quot;We did make a lot of cuts, but I do think they're all at a functional level, & quot; he said.
The finance committee will resume budget talks at 4 p.m. Monday. Council must pass the budget by the end of the month.
It does not include funds for the city to make road repairs or undertake capital projects. Angelo said he took out a provision for $46,000 to go toward the proposed Niles-Trumbull County transit system because council was opposed to spending the money.
Other items: The budget does include cost-of-living increases for council and some city officials. It also outlines a $68,000 payment to Howland Township that was overlooked by both parties since an annexation more than 10 years ago.
Also Tuesday, the committee heard a proposal from city Auditor David Griffing, who said changes in state and federal guidelines regarding accounting practices will create a large workload for his office.
He suggested it would be more cost-effective to add a position to his department instead of hiring an outside agency to do the work.
Council will continue to address his proposal.
davis@vindy.com