Call for levy in Boardman

BOARDMAN — Revenues coming in lower than anticipated are prompting the township fiscal officer to call for a levy a year earlier than expected.

Trustees passed a roughly $21.29 million budget for 2007 at a meeting tonight. Trustees Robyn Gallitto and Elaine Mancini supported it; Trustee Kathy Miller did not.

The township’s estimated revenue for next year is $16.68 million, meaning there’s a projected deficit of about $4.6 million between revenue and appropriations.

The difference will be made up with the reserve fund, which is about $7.8 million as of the end of this year.

“I promised to warn the trustees when it was time for a levy and it would be my recommendation that we explore placing a levy on the ballot in the fall,” said William Leicht, fiscal officer.

For more than a year, Leicht has said that he expects a levy will be needed in 2008, but the lower revenue pushed it up.

The lower revenue comes from estate taxes and property taxes that haven’t come in at the amounts the township anticipated. Estate taxes come from the estates of township residents who die.

Leicht said it’s possibly that some of the difference will be made up as the year progresses and the anticipated money will come in.

The 2006 spending plan was $20.97 million, although only $18.91 million was spent.

That’s typical and next year’s actual spending will likely be lower than what’s budgeted as well, he said.

Miller opposed the budget, saying she believes the time to address the shortfall is now.

She pointed to the 2007 general fund budget of $13.9 million. About $9 million of that is employee salaries with $4 million in employee benefits, she said.

“It’s like we have employees and nothing else,” she said.

The township should ask employee unions to make concessions, seek separate police, fire and road levies in May or make adjustments in staffing levels, she said, adding, “Why would we wait to get hit over the head?”

Miller also said she favors getting citizens involved in the budget to see what they want.

She also voted against the budget, she said, because items like a strategic plan, design for a new fire station and projects to address flooding aren’t included.

Both Gallitto and Mancini said adjustments may be made as the year progresses to address additional projects.

Miller made a motion to have the Ohio Auditor's office perform a performance audit to make recommendations on how the township can save money.

The motion didn’t get a second.

Gallitto said she supports the idea of a performance audit but a motion should be specific about the scope involved.

The 2007 budget includes $60,000 for a performance audit. Earlier this year, the auditor’s office estimated it would cost about $74,000 to conduct a full-scale performance audit of the township.

Gallitto asked Jason Loree, township administrator, to collect the necessary information for action at the next trustees’ meeting.

The panel also approved raises for themselves in accordance with what was passed by the Ohio Legislature.

The amount earned by officials in each township is based on a state formula.

Trustees will each earn $20,008 next year, and Leicht will earn $27,409. Leicht said that's about a 1.7 percent increase over this year’s pay for the officials.

They also changed meeting times for next year to 5 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month.