WARREN Mayor agrees to sign budget

The mayor says it would have made more sense to appropriate money for road resurfacing from the carryover.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Mayor Hank Angelo signed the 2003 budget this morning.
City council passed the $27.2 million general fund budget earlier this week. Angelo had said he was considering a veto or a line-item veto because he believes it is unrealistic.
Council appropriated $742,000 for street resurfacing, taken from the administrative support budget. If Angelo hadn't signed the legislation, it would have taken effect in 10 days without his signature, but that would have meant a three-day gap next year and employees wouldn't have gotten paid.
"I wouldn't do that," the mayor said.
No line-item veto
He said he decided against a line-item veto because he couldn't have made that move without affecting other items in the administrative support budget. Also, council plans to pass legislation next month for road resurfacing.
There isn't a specific line item in the 2003 legislation for road resurfacing.
"Logically it only makes sense that I would agree to have more streets resurfaced," Angelo said in a news release. "That makes good political sense with an election coming up this year, but that's not why you do things."
He also pointed to $8 million used for street projects this year with only $868,000 coming from local tax dollars. The remainder was secured in federal and state dollars, he said, and commended Dave Robison, director of engineering, building and planning, and Bill Totten, city engineer, for their efforts.
Angelo said it would have made more sense for council to pass a budget and wait for the city auditor to certify the carryover money from 2002 and appropriate money for street paving out of the carryover funds.
The carryover from the 2001 budget was about $1 million.
"Now council has a budget with a $742,000 hole in it," Angelo said. "Under statutory law (which Warren is), city council controls the budget, I simply recommend."
Decried suggestions
He contends suggestions from some council members for finding paving money were unrealistic or illegal, such as using money from enterprise funds or cutting positions that already have been filled.
The mayor also pointed out that no council members challenged the $27.2 million fiscal certification for 2002.
It passed unanimously in July.
Councilman Gary Fonce, D-at large, said he followed the recommendation of Auditor David Griffing in passing the fiscal certification.