It’s back to the chopping block for Independence Township trustees, rejecting second quarter recommended reconciliation and budget adjustments.
‘With my meetings with the supervisor, I would tell you I don’t know if the supervisor and I will be able to come back to you with anymore cuts,” said Finance Director Susan Hendricks at the Sept. 1 board meeting.
Budget adjustments included $63,000 reduction in building department revenues, incorporating reductions in rezoning, site plan review, construction code, and re-inspection fees, along with a loss of $110,000 in state shared revenue.
‘Those are all based upon what we see happening this year,? she said. ‘I have heard in the last couple weeks there seems to be a little bit of a pickup in our building department, but the revenues just don’t seem to be there this year, so we’re recommending reducing those.?
Recommended changes in expenditures included $32,900 reduction in the building department for office supplies, telephones, conferences and workshops, refunds and rebates, and equipment. Other reductions include $4,000 printing and publishing, and board of review, as well as $5,000 for postage. There was also a recommendation to increase wages for trustees by $5,000 due to all the special meetings the board has had.
Total adjustments left expenditures $143,000 more than revenues.
Trustee Neil Wallace said they were not making ‘anywhere near? the reductions that need to be made to the building department.
‘I don’t see four, five or six (building) permits, anything more than perhaps a dead cat bounce, and there doesn’t seem to be any plan to rationalize the building department to the numbers we’re seeing,? he said. ‘I think going out the three years, we’re probably looking at a very flat situation.?
Wallace asked Hendricks if she had given any thought how to ‘fill the black hole? of the board’s spending on special meetings. Trustee Mark Petterson suggested as he has before, trustees give up compensation for special meetings until Jan. 1, 2010. However, Wallace said state law ‘precludes? them from giving up their compensation while in office.
‘We can cut that compensation as long as we all agree and all do it in writing,? Petterson said. ‘To make this work we have to volunteer. We volunteered for these jobs, everyone of us who are sitting here tonight, so I think $5,000 could be well spent elsewhere.?
Wallace recommended having four regular meetings a month starting at 7 p.m. Trustee David Lohmeier said an incentive to have four regular meetings a month would be having them taped and broadcast on cable.
Lohmeier said he was not voting in favor of budget recommendations because ‘it doesn’t do anything but rearrange deck chairs on the Titanic.?
‘We just spent 20 minutes talking about incidentals that get us no where better off in the budget. We’re currently $143,000 in the hole. We’ll be a $143,000 in the hole if you pass this, I don’t want to pass this,? he said. ‘Not good enough. Take it back, let’s make cuts that balance the budget and do it. That’s what we’re paid to do. I know it’s hard, but that’s what we’re paid to do.?
Trustee Larry Rosso agreed.
‘This is not comprehensive enough. You’ve got to go through the whole budget,? he said. ‘I still think it can be peeled back, looking at the whole budget line by line.?
Rosso also noted he would be in favor of giving up his pay for special meetings.
‘I think we’re all up here ignoring the 400 pound gorilla in the room (building department) because we’re bleeding there,? Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen said. ‘I think somebody’s got to sit down and take a serious look at that and see what we can do about it.?
Wagner said later the building department made major cuts and he was very upset the board rejected the proposals.
‘I’ve brought everything with my financial expert and we’ve been shut down every time,” Wagner said. “So if these individuals have a better suggestion, send them to us so we can review it and dissect it and see if it’s even feasible.?
‘It’s been pretty clear the building department has way too much expense for its revenue, that’s where you patch the biggest hole and he (the supervisor) doesn’t want to do it. If the answer is he wants us to do it as a board, we’ll sit down at the table and do it,? Lohmeier said. ‘There is no way you’re going to cut expenses in this (economic) environment and be everybody’s buddy.?