Impending sidewalk repairs and a sharp increase in police department operating expenses left Clarkston officials without an alternative as they dipped nearly $4,600 from the city’s rainy day fund to balance the budget mid-year.
A large part of the increase granted Mon., Feb 25 by the city council stemmed from a request made by Police Chief Dale LaCroix, who in January said a boost in spending was necessary to keep the department operating effectively.
The chief asked for about $23,000 in added funds to cover expansion of overtime hours due to criminal cases and court hearings, as well as vacation time, training days and an increase in gasoline prices and vehicle maintenance.
In addition, LaCroix told the council replacement of an in-car computer’at a cost of $6,000’was imperative.
At Monday’s regular meeting, the council approved the additional spending and allotted an additional $6,000 to replace a second police computer.
Currently, computers in each of the department’s three patrol cars vary in functionality?’one new one, one old one and one dead one,? said LaCroix.
Mayor Sharron Catallo, who serves on the budget committee along with council members Kristy Ottman and Cory Johnston, said she thought District Court cost-recovery efforts would help pay for the increase in overtime. Thus far, the city’s budget reflects cost-recovery revenue of $1,175.
Replacing the police car computers, she said, was unanticipated.
‘The $6,000 computer was an expense we could have never known was coming,? said Catallo. ‘So that will come out of the general fund, because that’s what the general fund is for, as far as I’m concerned.?
The police department’s budget boost totaled about $28,500, bringing the 2007-2008 projection to $265,590.28.
LaCroix recently told the council new patrol cars will be necessary soon, as well.
The city’s total projected revenues top out at $871,235 for the current budget year, which runs between July 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008.
Cracked and crumbing neighborhood sidewalks accounted for another large chunk of the increase approved Monday, and the council allocated $10,000’a $7,500 hike over the original $2,500 allotment’for an upcoming project aimed at making Clarkston more pedestrian-friendly.
‘If we can we can get the tri-party funds and get a discount (from a contractor) by doing a larger area, we might as well do it,? said Johnston. ‘It’s going to cost us money we’d rather not spend’but it’s not going to be any better next year.?
The Tri-Party Program, a cooperative funding mechanism between Oakland County, the Road Commission for Oakland County and participating Oakland County communities, allows the city to designate improvement projects located within RCOC rights-of-way. Each of the three agencies provides one-third of the total improvement cost through the Tri-Party Program
The city, Johnston noted, would be wise to take advantage of the tri-party funds, especially since the program’s future is uncertain.
Still, expenditures climbed to $875,830.97 after Monday’s approved budget revision, and although certain variables could still cause numbers to shift in one direction or the other, city expenditures have surpassed revenues and resulted in the $4,600 dip into the general fund.
The fund ? a surplus carried over from previous budget years ? stood at $86,235.88 before the deduction.
‘It’s a very, very tight budget,? said Johnston. ‘The budget committee is going to look at ways we can either get more money or spend less’I’m going to put it on the whole council ? the budget committee doesn’t have any rabbits in the hat.?
Johnston told the council there were other items in the budget needing a closer look, and warned spending could still go up because of unknown factors such as weather’which ultimately results in an increase in DPW employee payrolls, fuel and maintenance for city vehicles and supplies. Spring road conditions, Johnston said, are also unknown as of yet.
‘We need to find something,? he said. ‘The budget is not going the right way and’we can’t get any more money. We have taxes that are fixed, in effect, and fees’so I’m asking all the council members if you have a different idea or a different way to do it, now is probably the time to bring it up.?
As a means to that end, the city also formed a committee that will look into the privatization of snow removal as a means to cut spending.
‘We can’t control the expenditure because Mother Nature does what she does what she does,? said Ottman, who will sit on the new committee along with Councilman Charles Inabnit and DPW Supervisor Bob Pursley. ‘But if we can control what we pay for the expenditure, that will be a solution that could trickle to 3 East Church on down.?
The city’s police station and some DPW functions operate from the building at 3 East Church.
Ottman told the council the committee planned to look at a five-year history of DPW snow removal records, and carefully break down associated costs.
‘If it turns out we can’t privatize,? she said, ‘we at least have a projection going forward, a hard number we can work with.?
Catallo agreed with the idea in general, but wasn’t optimistic about the outcome.
‘I don’t think we can get it for less money, but it might as well be looked at,? she said. ‘I think (by privatizing) you lose some control over the cost increase; we’re seeing increased costs in gas and fuel now and you’re going to see much more with a private company. But I think but it definitely should be explored.?