Friday, December 18, 2015
By AMANDA TONOLI
CANFIELD
Popular community events such as First Night Canfield and leaf-pickup services are in jeopardy for next year due to the city’s decreased revenues.
But that didn’t stop council from approving pay raises for union and nonunion employees for 2016 and 2017.
Council said several state laws have decreased revenue to local governments around Ohio, forcing many to make budget cuts to stay out of the red.
Council this week passed a temporary operating budget for 2016, projecting revenues at $8.5 million. The budget is for the first three months of the year. Council must approve a final budget by the end of March.
City Manager Joe Warino said council has been discussing cutting any nonstate-mandated activities, which normally cost between $200,000 and $300,000.
“We just don’t have the funds,” Warino said.
The money normally budgeted for the nonessentials will be returned to the general fund.
Some items in jeopardy include:
First Night Canfield, $10,050.
Leaf pickup, $80,000.
Fourth of July activities, $10,050.
Memorial Day activities, $950.
Concerts on the Green, $4,570.
Brush pickup, $21,000.
Mowing of rights of way, $30,000.
Warino said these cuts are being proposed to avoid layoffs.
Council member Charles Tieche said the temporary budget is reduced compared with the budget for all of this year, close to $8.8 million.
Council has budgeted for losses from decreased local government funding and the total loss of estate tax.
“Although it [estate tax] wasn’t something we could count on, we averaged between $250,000 to $500,000 [a year],” said Christine Clayton, finance director.
Moving forward, Clayton said she is anticipating the losses for 2017 due to changed income-tax laws.
Despite the less-than-stellar financial outlook, council, in a 3-1 vote, approved employee raises. Tieche voted no.
“My main premise for decision-making is if we can afford it. That’s usually what all my decisions are based upon,” Tieche said.
Tieche said that although he supports city employees and the jobs they do, he doesn’t find it in the city’s best interest for those raises during this time of financial trouble.
The 1.25 percent raises are for both union and nonunion employees for 2016 and 2017.
In other news, police Chief Chuck Colucci reported the police department has made 284 arrests, 2,301 traffic stops, 65 drug arrests, issued 435 citations, 34 operating-a-vehicle-while-impaired citations, performed 122 accident investigations and taken 337 property and persons reports this year.
His goal for the coming year is to better disseminate these statistics, perhaps on the city website.
“Something I think the community needs to be aware of is that there is a lot going on in our small, little community, and I want to keep people informed,” he said.