2005 BUDGET Officials look to curtail outlays

Officials are planning to set aside flood control money.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Township residents and employees will see changes in how much money officials spend.
Township officials discussed the 2005 budget Tuesday with one overall conclusion: less spending in the coming years.
William Leicht, township clerk, said the township is normally required to submit a budget to the county and have it on file by July 20. He said the county budget commission this year, however, has allowed the township to bypass that requirement and go right to appropriations.
Before appropriating any money, trustees are looking at how much can be spent over the next several years without the township's going broke.
According to Leicht, in the past several years the township has consistently outspent its revenue. He told trustees that, at current rates of spending, the township will outspend its revenue by $2 million annually over the next several years.
Projected surplus
The township will have about $7 million as a surplus at the start of 2005. Leicht said those funds, however, will be depleted inside of four years if township spending trends do not change.
"We've got some critical thinking to do about where we are going to go," he said. "If we continue in this pattern and nothing were to change, we would effectively use up all of our revenues in four years."
Leicht gave trustees several options that he said can help slow spending and save the township money over time.
In the past, each of the three departments -- road, police and fire -- would receive $200,000 every year as a capital budget. That number in 2005 will be reduced to $100,000 for each department.
Leicht said all three departments have asked for additional staffing in the coming years. But the township, he said, cannot afford to add employees. He said that those who quit or retire will be replaced, but that no new employees will be hired starting next year.
The block on new hires includes the fire department, which was hoping to add to its ranks considerably after a new fire station under construction is completed and another renovated. Leicht said the department wanted to hire 15 new firefighters.
Flooding issues
Trustees are also planning to set aside money to complete some of the projects in a recent study concerning township flooding. The study said it would take more than $23 million to address flooding issues here.
Leicht said officials are anticipating up to a 3 percent increase in controllable costs such as utilities, lawn maintenance, supplies and anything other than salaries and benefits. He said employees, however, would have to scale back in those areas at a rate of 5 percent to net a savings of $750,000.
The $750,000 saved in controllable cost, Leicht said, will go toward flood control. He said officials will also seek grants and outside funding to help in the flood control efforts.
Trustee Elaine Mancini said officials will have to wait and see exactly how much will be needed for flood control annually before any definite spending measures for 2005 can be adopted.
According to Leicht, even with the changes in spending, the township will still overspend annually by a little more than $1 million. He said that number could be reduced by cuts in spending for capital improvements.
Leicht said the township has been spending about $1.5 million annually for capital improvements. That spending should begin to slow as fewer improvements are needed, he said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com