Fiscal officer to recommend levy for fall

One trustee favors union concessions, separate levies for departments or staffing adjustments.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
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 on Tuesday. Trustees Robyn Gallitto and Elaine Mancini supported it, and Trustee Kathy Miller opposed it.
The township's estimated revenue for next year is 16.68 million, leaving a projected deficit of about 4.6 million.
The difference will be made up with the reserve fund, which will be 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 up the date.
What made difference
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 possible 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. Leicht said that's typical and that next year's actual spending will likely be lower than what's budgeted as well.
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, Miller 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.
"Why would we wait to get hit over the head?" she said.
Miller also said she favors getting citizens involved in the budget to see what they want.
Missing items
She said she also voted against the budget because items such as a strategic plan, design for a new fire station and projects to address flooding aren't included.
Both Gallitto and Mancini said that adjustments may be made as the year progresses to address additional projects.
Miller made a motion to have the Ohio auditor's office do a performance audit to make recommendations on how the township may save money.
The motion didn't get a second.
Gallitto said that she supports the idea of a performance audit but that a motion should be specific about the scope.
The 2007 budget includes 60,000 for a performance audit. Earlier this year, the auditor's office estimated that 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 itself 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 it'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. the second and fourth Thursday of each month.