Ashtabula
City Hall Annex)
Monday,
December 17, 2001
City of
Ashtabula)
Council met in a
PUBLIC HEARING and was called to order by President Misener.
Member(s) Present:
Zaebst-Beacon, McClure, Rose, Kist, Beacom, Misener
Member(s) Absent:
Paulchel
Officer(s) Present:
City Manager Pugliese, City Solicitor Simon, City Auditor Zullo,
Clerk of Council Hennigan
Officer(s)
Absent:
None
PURPOSE: The
purpose of this public hearing was to give the City Manager and City
Auditor the opportunity to present the City of Ashtabula’s 2002
budget.
SUNSHINE
LAW:
Conformity
to the Sunshine Law was certified.
WELCOME:
President
Misener welcomed visitors.
DISCUSSION
City Manager Pugliese
reported that budgets are tight nationwide and that he and Auditor Zullo
have worked hard to balance the City’s 2002 budget.
He reported that he asked department heads to explain the City’s
financial situation to their staff and asked that they help the City
through these troubling times by cutting back on their spending. He reported that the department heads did so and that
hopefully the City will get through this problem with matters becoming
more serious. He reported
that it has been determined that the City’s three (3) part-time
employees (Health Department, Solicitor’s Office and Recreational
Director), will have to be laid off effective January 1, 2002.
He reported that hopefully if things get better in the near future
they can be brought back. He
asked that all departments try their best to stay within their 2002
expenditures allocations. He said if this is done hopefully everyone will be able to
look back and say that we pulled together and got through the tight period
- together.
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
FROM COUNCIL
President Misener reported that the City has been fortunate in that we have experienced
very unseasonable weather. She
stated that life is full of change and hopefully the next change we
experience is that of an upward economy.
Councilor Kist asked if the State of Ohio has notified us of how much in Local
Government Funds (LGFs) we will receive in 2002. City Manager Pugliese replied no, but that he did received a
letter informing him that the additional six percent cut in Local
Government Funds would not happen.
President Misener reported that Clerk of Council
Hennigan recently provided the Council with a copy of Ohio Municipal
League correspondence, which stated that all municipalities should send a
resolution to Governor Taft, thanking he and the legislature for not
cutting LGFs any more than what has already been experienced.
The Council instructed Clerk of Council Hennigan to draft a letter
to be signed by them and City Manager Pugliese.
City Auditor Zullo reported that the City has the
luxury, in 2002, to have enough carry over from 2001, that such funds as
Police & Fire Pensions and Sanitation will not have to be subsidized
by the General Fund. He reported, for example, that the Police Pension
Fund was not funded at all by the General Fund in the 2002 budget, that it
received a considerable subsidy in 2001, but that the same luxury may not
exist at this time next year.
Vice President Beacom reported that the income side of
the Sanitation Fund 225 looks to be $200,000.00 short ($150,000.00 carry
over and $50,000.00 from the General Fund) – Auditor Zullo concurred.
Vice President Beacom then noted that sometime during the year, the
Council may want to look at the present Sanitation fees being charged,
because we could experience a $200,000.00 shortage for next year also and
something should be done to correct this.
Auditor Zullo reported that this year $85,000.00 of the fund was
subsidized by the General Fund and last year $120,000.00 was.
He reported that the Sanitation Fund has always been General Fund
subsidized – that it has never collected enough money to be self
sufficient. He reported that
next year there may be trouble, because there may not be any money in the
General Fund for such a subsidy. City Manager Pugliese reported that the Sanitation fees were
increased this year, which may help some next year. Vice President Beacom asked it is know what the increase is
projected to bring in. Manager
Pugliese replied no and that it will not be substantial but will help.
City Auditor Zullo reported that the increase is included in the
2002 budget
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS
FROM VISITORS - NONE
Beacom
moved, Kist seconded, to adjourn the public hearing at 5:45 p.m.; motion
CARRIED.
ATTESTED
BY:__________________________________
Josephine Misener
President of Council
ATTESTED
BY:__________________________________
LaVette E. Hennigan, CMC/AAE
Clerk of Council
DATE
APPROVED:_______________________________
