MONROE - Monroe's Finance and Taxation Committee members picked up some "numbers to work with" on the 2013 budget Wednesday.
After approving a capital plan last month, which will help them look at $1.3 million in requested projects next year, committee members reviewed summary sheets for personnel costs and for other operating costs projected for 2013.
Salary and benefits total about $7.25 million, and other operating expenditures total about $3.3 million.
Personnel costs were based on 2012 estimated costs, and as of yet show no increases in wages or salaries. City Administrator Phil Rath calculated the city would spend an additional $169,760 for all personnel costs, if a 3-percent increase in wages were implemented across the board for union and non-union employees.
Union negotiations, due to take place this year, have not yet begun, and Monroe, like many municipalities, are at a loss as to how to proceed in union negotiations after a Dane County judge declared negotiation limitations in Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 are unconstitutional.
Alderman Michael Boyce asked whether the committee could move to recommend a 3-percent increase for non-union employees, specifically department heads.
"Further down the road, it might be wiser to give non-reps more than 3 percent," he told the committee. "We've been lagging for several years."
Committee Chairman Reid Stangel agreed, but advised caution.
"That's a great idea, just as long as we don't make false promises, or make a promise and not fulfill them," he said.
But committee members Brooke Bauman and Tom Miller expressed concern that stipulating an amount in the budget would affect negotiations.
Stangel made the motion, seconded by Louis Armstrong, to factor into the budget a 3-percent increase in non-union represented employees "as a place holder."
Armstrong clarified the intent was to use the additional cost as a "non-binding" amount, to be used as "a place to work from" during the budget process.
Tyler Schultz voted against the motion. "Any pay increases at all should come at the very end (of the process)," he said.
Other non-personnel proposed operating costs, totaling $3.3 million, are up $42,200, or 1.28 percent, from the 2012 budget. They are up 24.75 percent, or $663,000 higher, compared to actual 2011 expenditures of $2.68 million; and 10 percent up, or $303,600 higher than 2010 actual budget expenses of $3.04 million.
Except for one anticipated adjustment for bank reconciliation, the 2012 audit is completed, and City Comptroller Bridget Schuchart expects to pick up the audit Thursday morning, she said.
Within the draft general fund operating budget for 2013, the general government account is up 2.24 percent, or $20,400; Public Safety is down .024 percent or $1,000; Public Works is up .25 percent or $3,870; Health and Human Services is up 23 percent, or $13,000; and Culture and Recreation is up 1.67 percent, or $6,000.
Some of the line items hitting those accounts the hardest are city attorney and labor negotiations attorney fees, up $26,000; information technology, up $15,000; economic development advise, up $15,500; machinery and equipment for public works, up $10,000; Green County Humane Society, up $12,500, and Cheese Days up $9,800. (The city has doubled its annual set-aside amount to cover its $40,000 of expenses for the every-other-year event.)
What dropped the most in the expenditure columns are the building inspection costs, down $55,000. However, Rath pointed out that the real cost for inspection is now in personnel, since the city eliminated the contractual service and hired an in-house inspector in 2012.
The committee is preparing to look at shifting some debt service costs from the downtown Tax Increment District No. 7, to utilities, which replaced lines in 2009 during the city's streetscape project. Also including costs to replace the parking ramp, changing health insurance and adding spring cleanup days are in the discussion for upcoming budget meetings.
After approving a capital plan last month, which will help them look at $1.3 million in requested projects next year, committee members reviewed summary sheets for personnel costs and for other operating costs projected for 2013.
Salary and benefits total about $7.25 million, and other operating expenditures total about $3.3 million.
Personnel costs were based on 2012 estimated costs, and as of yet show no increases in wages or salaries. City Administrator Phil Rath calculated the city would spend an additional $169,760 for all personnel costs, if a 3-percent increase in wages were implemented across the board for union and non-union employees.
Union negotiations, due to take place this year, have not yet begun, and Monroe, like many municipalities, are at a loss as to how to proceed in union negotiations after a Dane County judge declared negotiation limitations in Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10 are unconstitutional.
Alderman Michael Boyce asked whether the committee could move to recommend a 3-percent increase for non-union employees, specifically department heads.
"Further down the road, it might be wiser to give non-reps more than 3 percent," he told the committee. "We've been lagging for several years."
Committee Chairman Reid Stangel agreed, but advised caution.
"That's a great idea, just as long as we don't make false promises, or make a promise and not fulfill them," he said.
But committee members Brooke Bauman and Tom Miller expressed concern that stipulating an amount in the budget would affect negotiations.
Stangel made the motion, seconded by Louis Armstrong, to factor into the budget a 3-percent increase in non-union represented employees "as a place holder."
Armstrong clarified the intent was to use the additional cost as a "non-binding" amount, to be used as "a place to work from" during the budget process.
Tyler Schultz voted against the motion. "Any pay increases at all should come at the very end (of the process)," he said.
Other non-personnel proposed operating costs, totaling $3.3 million, are up $42,200, or 1.28 percent, from the 2012 budget. They are up 24.75 percent, or $663,000 higher, compared to actual 2011 expenditures of $2.68 million; and 10 percent up, or $303,600 higher than 2010 actual budget expenses of $3.04 million.
Except for one anticipated adjustment for bank reconciliation, the 2012 audit is completed, and City Comptroller Bridget Schuchart expects to pick up the audit Thursday morning, she said.
Within the draft general fund operating budget for 2013, the general government account is up 2.24 percent, or $20,400; Public Safety is down .024 percent or $1,000; Public Works is up .25 percent or $3,870; Health and Human Services is up 23 percent, or $13,000; and Culture and Recreation is up 1.67 percent, or $6,000.
Some of the line items hitting those accounts the hardest are city attorney and labor negotiations attorney fees, up $26,000; information technology, up $15,000; economic development advise, up $15,500; machinery and equipment for public works, up $10,000; Green County Humane Society, up $12,500, and Cheese Days up $9,800. (The city has doubled its annual set-aside amount to cover its $40,000 of expenses for the every-other-year event.)
What dropped the most in the expenditure columns are the building inspection costs, down $55,000. However, Rath pointed out that the real cost for inspection is now in personnel, since the city eliminated the contractual service and hired an in-house inspector in 2012.
The committee is preparing to look at shifting some debt service costs from the downtown Tax Increment District No. 7, to utilities, which replaced lines in 2009 during the city's streetscape project. Also including costs to replace the parking ramp, changing health insurance and adding spring cleanup days are in the discussion for upcoming budget meetings.