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Canfield city council has open discussion about financial future
By AMANDA TONOLI
CANFIELD
Canfield City Council members shared their worries Wednesday about the financial future, after passing a state-mandated ordinance decreasing revenues to the city.
Joe Warino, city manager, said cuts will have to be made to the city budget for 2016. That’s because the state has approved a change in the disbursement formula of municipal taxes to cities.
Council members discussed possible reductions while reviewing the general fund expenditures.
The meeting was called to increase water bills but no action could be taken, as finance director Christine Clayton was absent. So the discussion turned to next year’s budget.
Warino suggested cutting nonessentials – brush and leaf pickup, concerts on the green, First Night in Canfield and 4th of July fireworks – to preserve money for the essentials, such as safety. Warino deferred questions on dollar amounts for these activities to Clayton. “I still have some questions myself, and I need to go over them with her,” he said.
Councilman Charles Tieche said asking for a little extra money per resident is a minimal cost to preserve the safety and the reputation of Canfield.
Other ideas were a pro-rated income tax taking effect as soon as 2016, or a five-year police levy beginning in 2017. The police department budget is about 66 percent of the general fund.
Mayor Bernie Kosar said he has heard the residents in saying they do not want to pay more taxes.
But Councilman Steve Rogers said to maintain the safety level Canfield is comfortable with, some type of financing is necessary. If not, Rogers said cuts will have to be made in areas that will impact the services that residents are comfortable with.
Kosar said he longs for input on what citizens want to pay, how they want to pay it and what they want to do with it. “Tell us what to do,” Kosar said. “We must do something. Inaction is not an option.”