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youngstown City council approves $151M budget
YOUNGSTOWN
City council members approved this year’s $151,591,293 city budget, saying it provides the money needed for many priorities.
Council voted 7-0 on Wednesday in support of the administration’s recommended budget.
“We’re putting money into economic development, which is something we really need,” said Councilwoman Janet Tarpley, the legislative body’s finance committee chairwoman.
Also, the budget includes $900,000 for residential demolitions, a top priority of council and the administration.
The city will look to increase that amount, said council members and city Finance Director David Bozanich.
The money is likely to go toward the match needed to obtain money from the state attorney general’s housing demolition program.
The attorney general’s office will make $75 million available to communities throughout the state.
It’s a portion of the state’s $335 million share of a national settlement with the five-largest mortgage companies over foreclosure abuses, fraud and improper practices.
The attorney general’s office is expected to provide requirements for the program soon.
“We’re prepared to get as much of that money as we can,” said Tarpley, D-6th.
Tarpley and Councilman Paul Drennen, D-5th, vice chairman of the finance committee, said they are pleased the city finished the year with $43.95 million in income-tax collection when projections in early 2011 had the figure at $41.12 million.
The projection for this year is $44.9 million.
The city ended 2011 with a $1,666,021.68 surplus in the general fund.
“Because of tax revenues, there’s extra money for items like housing demolition,” Drennen said.
“Demolition has been a priority of ours for a long time,” said Councilwoman Annie Gillam, D-1st, a finance committee member. “We’re going to do our best to eliminate that problem so we can rebuild this city.”
Gillam said she doesn’t agree with the administration’s recommendation, approved by council, to cut the street resurfacing budget from about $1.1 million in 2011 to about $800,000 this year.
“We’re going to need more money for street repaving,” she said. “With the increased gas price, repaving is going to be more expensive, but it’s very much needed.”
The cut was made because not as many streets need to be repaved as in recent years because of the mild winter, Bozanich said.
But if the need for more repaving is needed, the city would find ways to restore funding, he said.
The city’s budget has to be approved, by law, no later than Saturday. But the city often makes adjustments to the budget throughout the year.