NEW CASTLE Council leaves '04 budget to newcomers

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City council will let the incoming mayor and council decide what they want to do with an $11.4 million budget for 2004.
Council voted 2-2 Thursday to leave the budget issue on the table, a move that essentially means the spending plan presented by outgoing Mayor Timothy Fulkerson is automatically adopted, said Richard DeBlasio, council president.
Council members John Russo and Christine Sands wanted to bring the budget up for a vote but DeBlasio and Councilman Mark Elisco opposed the idea. The result was a 2-2 vote and the issue died.
DeBlasio said the city has a new mayor, Wayne Alexander, taking office in January as well as three new council members coming into office. There will also be a new city business manager and a new solicitor, DeBlasio said, suggesting that that new group should have the option of reopening the budget and making changes, if they wish.
The spending plan shows an $800,000 revenue shortfall which Fulkerson proposes to cover by eliminating a number of positions, including the code enforcement director, parks and recreation director, building inspector and deputy treasurer, and making other cuts.
The city is also faced with a $1.5 million shortfall in its pension fund although it may not have to cover that all in one year.
Fulkerson proposed no tax increases to cover any of the red ink.
DeBlasio said the new mayor and council could look at a tax increase should they decide to reopen the spending plan.