Salem ends 2009 with revenue drop

By D.a. Wilkinson

City officials will meet later this month to discuss the city’s tight finances.

SALEM — City Treasurer Robert Tullis told council Tuesday evening that the city had ended 2009 with a drop in revenue.

The city’s 1 percent income tax was $311,539, or 7.7 percent below the $4 million income-tax collection in 2008.

Steve Andres, city safety-service director, said the city has used all of its road salt.

With snow predicted for the rest of this week and a pending weekend storm, he said, “We’re not going to be able to buy more salt.”

At $50 a ton for salt, he added, “It goes quickly.”

Andres said two of the city’s older dump trucks need several thousand dollars’ worth of repairs.

He added that there had been several meetings by city officials on snow control, and one option would be to ask volunteers to help out if needed.

City officials plan to meet with council’s finance committee at 9 a.m. Jan. 19 to discuss the city’s options.

The city asked for a 0.5 percent increase in the city’s 1 percent income tax for four years on last fall’s ballot, but that was defeated by 71 percent of the voters.

Mayor Jerry Wolford said the city finances could involve altering the city’s already tight split of the income tax. Currently, some 85 percent of the tax goes to the general fund for operating costs, and the rest goes to capital improvements.

The amount of the tax applied to operating costs could go even higher, the mayor said.

The parks department also is considering a levy this year, but details have not been set, according to Steve Faber, parks director.

Newly elected council President Mickey Cope Weaver announced the new council committees. Two of the most important committees are now represented by a Democrat, a Republican and an independent.

Atty. Bret Apple, a Democrat who has been chairman of the finance committee, will stay on in that post. He will be working with new Councilman Brian Whitehill, a Republican, and Dave Nestic, an independent. On the economic development committee, Nestic will be joined by Whitehill and Dennis Groves, a Democrat.

wilkinson@vindy.com