So. Portland City Council passes $81M budget (Printed June 8, 2007)
By Amanda Estes
Staff Writer
With a 4-3 vote, the South Portland City Council passed an $81.5 million budget for the next fiscal year, which reflects a $2.6 million increase or 3.3 percent increase from the current year’s budget.
With the total needs from taxes at $51 million, an increase of $2.2 million or 4.4 percent from the current year, the median single family home assessed at $212,000 can expect to see an increase of $117 over this year’s tax bill, provided valuation holds said Finance Director Rob Coombs.
Jim Soule, Ralph Baxter and Kay Loring voted against the budget. Soule’s dissention was over the use of $57,881 in TIF funds for the salaries of the city manager, assistant city manager, planning director and community planner. Currently, 15 percent of both the city manager and the city planner’s salaries and 10 percent of both the assistant city manager and community planner salaries come from TIF money.
At former City Manager Ted Jankowski’s salary of $104,000, 15 percent of TIF funds translates to $15,600. Soule said TIF money is meant for infrastructure and economic development.
On Tuesday, Acting City Manager Jim Gailey said the use of TIF funds for salaries was a “confusing item at this point” because of the vacancy due to Jankowski’s departure.
Baxter said he disapproved of a budget that exceeded what citizens should pay.
“No one has mentioned citizens having trouble keeping up with their tax bills,” he said referring to the series of budget discussions. “I don’t understand why we don’t have the courage to cut anything.”
At the May 21 budget workshop there was some support for a one percent cut across the board with some disagreements whether the fire and police departments should be included in those cuts. On Monday, Baxter said he was still in favor of a one percent cut that excluded the police and fire departments.
Maxine Beecher, who first proposed the one percent cut, said the 4.43 percent increase “keeps the level of services at a level we in South Portland are used to.”
The council made several amendments regarding municipal personnel and personnel represented the largest expenditure increase at $594,371. Amendments include an increase of five hours per week for the planning secretary for $10,063; the addition of three temporary public works employees for $13,000; the creation of an IT help desk position for $12,000; and the addition of two police officers for $93,636.
The IT position will be funded by the elimination of a vacant position at the public library. To take advantage of half of a year’s savings, the city will hire one police officer at a time, sending the first officer to the academy in August and the second in January.
In May, the council explored the impact of cutting four services: the transfer facility, the pool, switchboard operators, and the city’s branch library.
Gailey determined if the transfer station were closed, the city would lose $140,000 in revenues. Closing the pool would save the average household $0.89 per month, however, Gailey said because of a Land and Water Conservation grant, the city would be forced to pay the state $288,000 in federal funds.
Eliminating switchboard operators would result in $1.69 per year for the average household. Gailey said the operators, similarly to dispatchers, play a key role in the city.
Finally, Gailey determined closing the branch library would result in a savings of $0.53 a month on the average tax bill. Jim Hughes argued against closing the branch and said it “does one-sixth to one-fifth of the city’s library (business) at one-tenth of the cost of the main library.”
Another service that faced cuts was the Engine One Fire Station in Ferry Village. Gailey said because of the number of calls the station receives and the long-term plan of consolidating it with the Willard Station, Kevin Guimond, the fire chief proposed closing it as a way to cut costs.
Tom Blake, Captain of the Ferry Village station, submitted a letter to the council, which Mayor Claude Morgan read aloud, calling for the station to remain open as the “70 plus calls we have received in 2007 alone clearly reflect the fact that we are busy and active.”
Blake also said shutting the station down was never part of the consolidation plan. Linda Boudreau proposed adding $5,100 back into the budget to support the station. She said she had seen the delivery of services during the extreme weather events earlier this year and the station is a “benefit to the city I’m not willing to sacrifice for $5,100.”
The amendment passed 6-1, with Hughes opposed.
Staff Writer
With a 4-3 vote, the South Portland City Council passed an $81.5 million budget for the next fiscal year, which reflects a $2.6 million increase or 3.3 percent increase from the current year’s budget.
With the total needs from taxes at $51 million, an increase of $2.2 million or 4.4 percent from the current year, the median single family home assessed at $212,000 can expect to see an increase of $117 over this year’s tax bill, provided valuation holds said Finance Director Rob Coombs.
Jim Soule, Ralph Baxter and Kay Loring voted against the budget. Soule’s dissention was over the use of $57,881 in TIF funds for the salaries of the city manager, assistant city manager, planning director and community planner. Currently, 15 percent of both the city manager and the city planner’s salaries and 10 percent of both the assistant city manager and community planner salaries come from TIF money.
At former City Manager Ted Jankowski’s salary of $104,000, 15 percent of TIF funds translates to $15,600. Soule said TIF money is meant for infrastructure and economic development.
On Tuesday, Acting City Manager Jim Gailey said the use of TIF funds for salaries was a “confusing item at this point” because of the vacancy due to Jankowski’s departure.
Baxter said he disapproved of a budget that exceeded what citizens should pay.
“No one has mentioned citizens having trouble keeping up with their tax bills,” he said referring to the series of budget discussions. “I don’t understand why we don’t have the courage to cut anything.”
At the May 21 budget workshop there was some support for a one percent cut across the board with some disagreements whether the fire and police departments should be included in those cuts. On Monday, Baxter said he was still in favor of a one percent cut that excluded the police and fire departments.
Maxine Beecher, who first proposed the one percent cut, said the 4.43 percent increase “keeps the level of services at a level we in South Portland are used to.”
The council made several amendments regarding municipal personnel and personnel represented the largest expenditure increase at $594,371. Amendments include an increase of five hours per week for the planning secretary for $10,063; the addition of three temporary public works employees for $13,000; the creation of an IT help desk position for $12,000; and the addition of two police officers for $93,636.
The IT position will be funded by the elimination of a vacant position at the public library. To take advantage of half of a year’s savings, the city will hire one police officer at a time, sending the first officer to the academy in August and the second in January.
In May, the council explored the impact of cutting four services: the transfer facility, the pool, switchboard operators, and the city’s branch library.
Gailey determined if the transfer station were closed, the city would lose $140,000 in revenues. Closing the pool would save the average household $0.89 per month, however, Gailey said because of a Land and Water Conservation grant, the city would be forced to pay the state $288,000 in federal funds.
Eliminating switchboard operators would result in $1.69 per year for the average household. Gailey said the operators, similarly to dispatchers, play a key role in the city.
Finally, Gailey determined closing the branch library would result in a savings of $0.53 a month on the average tax bill. Jim Hughes argued against closing the branch and said it “does one-sixth to one-fifth of the city’s library (business) at one-tenth of the cost of the main library.”
Another service that faced cuts was the Engine One Fire Station in Ferry Village. Gailey said because of the number of calls the station receives and the long-term plan of consolidating it with the Willard Station, Kevin Guimond, the fire chief proposed closing it as a way to cut costs.
Tom Blake, Captain of the Ferry Village station, submitted a letter to the council, which Mayor Claude Morgan read aloud, calling for the station to remain open as the “70 plus calls we have received in 2007 alone clearly reflect the fact that we are busy and active.”
Blake also said shutting the station down was never part of the consolidation plan. Linda Boudreau proposed adding $5,100 back into the budget to support the station. She said she had seen the delivery of services during the extreme weather events earlier this year and the station is a “benefit to the city I’m not willing to sacrifice for $5,100.”
The amendment passed 6-1, with Hughes opposed.
Comments