$3.8M Struthers budget brings wage freezes and program cuts

By William k. Alcorn

The budget does not include funding for the city health department.

STRUTHERS — Struthers City Council has passed the city’s $3.8 million 2009 general fund budget that includes wage freezes and program cuts.

Three meetings were required to approve the spending plan. Special meetings took place Friday and Saturday because at Wednesday’s regular meeting, two of council’s seven members voted against passing the budget as an emergency.

Legislation is not approved as an emergency requires three readings, approved by a majority of council, to become law. By law, the budget had to be in place by Tuesday or the city could not operate, said Auditor Tina Morell.

Voting against the $3,822,947 general fund budget, which is about $234,000 less that 2008’s general fund expenditures, were Councilman at-Large Daniel Yemma and First Ward Councilwoman Sherri L. Hartzell.

Included in the budget, proposed by Mayor Terry P. Stocker, are wage freezes and some program cuts.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.