LEETONIA Village officials to deal with less funds for '04

Voters could see a levy on the ballot as early as March.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- In 1981, Leetonia residents worried about things that go bump in the night.
Village Administrator Gary Phillips was police chief when village officials ordered streetlights turned off as a cost-cutting measure. The blackout did not, however, result in an increase in crime, he said.
"The residents allowed us to increase the income tax then, so we were able to turn the lights back on," Phillips said. "There weren't a lot of problems, but it certainly was a strange atmosphere with the streets in the dark."
Village officials are seeking ways for the various departments to work with an overall budget for 2004 of about $400,000, about $100,000 less than 2003, according to Clerk Judy Garlough. That means reductions across the board for all departments.
Councilman Dan Valentine said department heads will plan their operations on a limited basis. Loss of income tax revenue and severe reductions in interest earned on bank accounts and investments account for most of the shortfall, he said.
"Income is not increasing," he said. "We've lost some businesses, and we aren't getting any new ones right now."
Rising costs
Valentine said fixed costs such as utilities and health and liability insurance are continuing to climb.
For example, he said at current rates, the health care coverage for just three full-time employees costs the village $20,000 a year, and "there are rumblings in the industry that coverage will increase 200 [percent] or even 300 percent in the near future."
"This is going to be a bare-bones budget," Valentine said. "No overtime, no equipment purchases. No room for anything to go wrong. It will be tough to stick to. The fire department has to make do with $17,000 less. Hopefully there won't be any major repair to firetrucks."
Village council might put a levy before voters as soon as March, but all departments must make cuts. Revenue from a levy, even if passed in March, would not be collected until 2005.
Phillips said to stay within the street department budget, one part-time worker will be laid off at the end of December.
With no overtime allowed, streets may be patched rather than paved. Snow removal will be done on a priority basis.
During snow removal, side streets won't get the attention residents are used to, and alleys might not be plowed at all, he said.
Police department
Police Chief John Soldano has $64,000 less to work with than in last year's budget. He will look to Columbiana in 2004 to cover some dispatching shifts.
The department will also give up its Law Enforcement Automated Data System.
Turning over 74 hours of dispatching to Columbiana will save about $39,000 a year, he said.
Returning the LEADS computer system to Columbus will save about $7,000 a year plus additional costs for printer supplies. LEADS is the system used by dispatchers to look up driver's license information, outstanding warrants and other information when police make traffic stops.
With its own LEADS system in place, the Leetonia dispatchers could look up the information on their own. Without it, the dispatchers will call Columbiana or possibly the Columbiana County Sheriff's Department to get LEADS information, then relay the information to the officers.
Soldano said having Columbiana cover dispatching shifts would be most desirable because it could be done without changing radio frequencies or equipment.