SHARON Council restores budget controls

The finance director could be fined if overspending occurs in any quarter.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- City council introduced an ordinance Thursday that will limit the city administration to spending no more than 25 percent of the total annual budget in each quarter of the year.
To "put some teeth in it," Fred Hoffman, council president, said the bill includes a provision that makes it a summary offense to overspend in any given quarter.
A violation carries a fine of $10 to $50 for a first offense. A second and additional offenses carry a fine of $250 to $500 plus restitution for any city expenses incurred in investigating the violation, Hoffman said.
The fine would be levied directly at Michael Gasparich, city finance director.
Council had enacted a similar ordinance in 2002 in an effort to better control spending, directing the mayor and finance director to spend no more than 25 percent of the budget in each quarter.
However, that ordinance was only for 2002 and expired at the end of the year.
When Hoffman and other council members accused Mayor David O. Ryan and Gasparich of violating that ordinance earlier this year, Ryan pointed out that the ordinance was no longer in effect.
Hoffman said he had the issue put on Thursday's council agenda and added the penalty clause. The new version has no end date, he said.
Big bills
Gasparich pointed out that many of the city's big bills such as health insurance, life insurance, worker's compensation and liability insurance, all come due in the first quarter.
Adding those payments to the regular municipal payroll results in more than 25 percent of the budget being spent in the first quarter each year, he said.
Hoffman said Gasparich could prepare a list of those expenses and they would be exempted from the new rule.
When Gasparich suggested that he shouldn't be held responsible if a particular department overspends its quarterly allotment, Councilman Lou Rotunno told him that it will be up to him to see that they don't.
Gasparich thought the old ordinance that expired was "silly," Hoffman said, adding, "This one isn't."