The Monroe Common Council got an indication Wednesday of just how big of a challenge it will face in balancing the 2010 budget.
Perhaps this situation was foreshadowed at the completion of last year's budget process by Alderman Mark Coplien. In a Times story, Nov. 19, 2008, he predicted the council would have a "tough time" budgeting for 2010.
"There's not to many places to cut. We've already dove into public protection," Coplien said.
He ended up being correct, surely to his dismay. Except this year, the city can't touch police and fire service budgets according to a new state statute, city Comptroller/Treasurer Cathy Maurer said Wednesday.
On top of all of that bad news, the council has been given the unenviable task of cutting a preliminary $525,000 out of this year's budget to stay below the new 3 percent property tax levy limit granted by the state Legislature in its budget passed this year. That number, however, is sure to grow. It doesn't include an increase in health benefits costs, which is certain to add to the challenge.
Last year, the council had to cut $500,000 to balance the budget. This year will be more, certainly if the council works to get the budget down to the 2 percent tax levy increase it typically is limited to by the state.
Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman Kent Kallembach on Wednesday seemed to indicate the goal was to get to the lower levy. He said the city should first make cuts to get to the 3 percent levy increase, then work to get it to 2 percent.
That's an ambitious goal, but one the city should try to reach. It would require some very difficult decisions, certainly, but the city must do everything it can to soften the impact on property tax payers.
Those difficult decisions probably would include slashing spending on capital projects, and perhaps making personnel cuts.
Alderman Thurston Hanson acknowledged as much Wednesday.
"Last year we avoided personnel cuts, but this is something we have to look at this year," he told the committee.
The committee's first meeting on the budget Wednesday was cut short after it was questioned why department heads weren't present to discuss their budget plans and to answer questions.
Only Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder was present, and he said he wasn't prepared to discuss his budget needs.
Ending the meeting at that point was the right thing for the committee to do. Department heads must be part of the process. Council members should be asking tough questions of every spending request, and department heads must play a role in the difficult decisions of cuts.
Perhaps this situation was foreshadowed at the completion of last year's budget process by Alderman Mark Coplien. In a Times story, Nov. 19, 2008, he predicted the council would have a "tough time" budgeting for 2010.
"There's not to many places to cut. We've already dove into public protection," Coplien said.
He ended up being correct, surely to his dismay. Except this year, the city can't touch police and fire service budgets according to a new state statute, city Comptroller/Treasurer Cathy Maurer said Wednesday.
On top of all of that bad news, the council has been given the unenviable task of cutting a preliminary $525,000 out of this year's budget to stay below the new 3 percent property tax levy limit granted by the state Legislature in its budget passed this year. That number, however, is sure to grow. It doesn't include an increase in health benefits costs, which is certain to add to the challenge.
Last year, the council had to cut $500,000 to balance the budget. This year will be more, certainly if the council works to get the budget down to the 2 percent tax levy increase it typically is limited to by the state.
Finance and Taxation Committee Chairman Kent Kallembach on Wednesday seemed to indicate the goal was to get to the lower levy. He said the city should first make cuts to get to the 3 percent levy increase, then work to get it to 2 percent.
That's an ambitious goal, but one the city should try to reach. It would require some very difficult decisions, certainly, but the city must do everything it can to soften the impact on property tax payers.
Those difficult decisions probably would include slashing spending on capital projects, and perhaps making personnel cuts.
Alderman Thurston Hanson acknowledged as much Wednesday.
"Last year we avoided personnel cuts, but this is something we have to look at this year," he told the committee.
The committee's first meeting on the budget Wednesday was cut short after it was questioned why department heads weren't present to discuss their budget plans and to answer questions.
Only Public Works Director Kelly Finkenbinder was present, and he said he wasn't prepared to discuss his budget needs.
Ending the meeting at that point was the right thing for the committee to do. Department heads must be part of the process. Council members should be asking tough questions of every spending request, and department heads must play a role in the difficult decisions of cuts.
