In this age of government bailouts, Independence Township Parks and Recreation requested and received its own.
The department spent $120,000 this past year, but took in $40,000 in revenue. The extra $80,000 will come from other township departments.
‘We were trying to put in cost containment methods this year, which resulted in some departments being under budget,? said Susan Hendricks, finance director. ?(In some departments) we weren’t as successful as we would have liked to have been and we need to work on improving that for next year.?
The board voted 6-1, Dec. 16, to borrow the money from other, under-budget departments to cover the cost. Treasurer Curt Carson voted “no.”
Mike Turk, parks and recreation director, took full responsibility for the over spending.
‘I’ll make sure I put the appropriate steps in for next year,? he said.
Turk said many expenses weren’t budgeted, including increased gas prices, improvements to concession stands at Clintonwood Park due to health department inspections, healthcare increases due to changing employee status, park security, and repair of damage caused by vandalism.
‘They seem like all worthy items you are forced to do,? said Trustee Neil Wallace.
Supervisor David Wagner said extra expenses should have been brought to the board sooner.
‘Even if it’s a budgeted item, if they spend $5,000, they have to come in and tell me they are spending $5,000. I require an explanation,? Wagner said. ‘Anything from $2,500 to $5,000, they have to take it to Sue and make sure they have money in their budget prior to spending the money.?
Wagner said it was ‘unacceptable? to him for Parks and Recreation to be over budget so much, and said they were also overbudget $80,000 in the 2007 budget.
Hendricks said the department looked OK in the third-quarter report, but she forgot about a large expenditure in November, an ‘internal transfer for cost of services provided,? she said.
‘As these little things were happening all year long. We kept thinking we can cut here, we can do something there,? she said. ‘We were trying to say we wouldn’t have to do this, not thinking we had this big thing in November, which was going to take any good work and turn it around on us.?
The meeting was the first Wagner heard of the ‘large expenditure,? and he was waiting for his own answers, he said in a phone interview, Monday.
Hendricks also said they transfer money every year to Parks and Rec from the general fund.
‘Parks and Recreations charges for services do not cover the total cost of that department,? she said. ‘So, the general fund transfers money to that fund to cover the cost, in addition to what we can charge our residents.?
Carson said Parks and Rec’s budget increased 20 percent since approval.
‘In the economy we have today, we can’t assume these budgets are going to increase and we’re going to give automatic adjustments,? he said. ‘If a department is over budget, I personally think that department should determine what they’re going to do about it.?
Wallace agreed.
‘They ought to cut back on this or do without that this year in order to cover these unexpected items,? he said.
Wagner also agreed.
‘The tendency for the board for a long period of time is always been ‘if Parks and Rec runs over, that’s OK because we’re just going to give it to them anyway,?? he said. ‘It’s something I have talked about and even one time talked about having a Parks and Rec. millage that would help out quite a bit.?
Wallace said he would like to see a general policy for all departments and would like to see budgets every month.
Lohmeier felt the same way.
‘Keep me at the water line,? he said. ‘So, we know incrementally anytime we make a decision that varies us from our budget and we see the offset.?
The board also voted to transfer $30,000 from the clerk’s office budget to the election’s department to cover the cost of the early presidential primary in January.
The motion passed 6-1. Lohmeier voted against.