Council approves budget

Tax hike included in Johnstown plan

By MICHAEL ANICH/ The Leader-Herald

JOHNSTOWN - Without any public discussion, the city council on Monday adopted the city's $9.9 million budget for 2009 in a 3-2 vote.

The budget carries a 2.9 percent property tax increase.

The council previously conducted a public hearing on the proposed budget in which no one spoke.

The budget contains a proposed tax rate of $15.98 per $1,000 of assessed valuation - 45 cents higher than the 2008 city tax rate of $15.53 per $1,000. A city property owner with a home assessed at $50,000 will see his tax bill increase by $23. A homeowner with a $100,000 home will see his tax bill increase by $46.

Voting to adopt the budget were 1st Ward Councilwoman Cynthia Lakata, 2nd Ward Councilman J. Christopher Foss and 4th Ward Councilwoman Kay Cole. Voting no were Councilman-at-Large Bryan C. Marcucci and 3rd Ward Councilman Brett Preston.

After the meeting, Preston said there "wasn't just one reason" why he opposed the spending plan. For example, he said he doesn't approve of the proposed new salt storage shed on North Perry Street. The city is budgeting $40,000 for that project.

Preston said he also opposes raises for the Common Council members. Under the budget, the salaries of the five members will be raised from $4,380 to $4,520 apiece.

Preston said there were many other smaller items he didn't approve.

Marcucci, who has a downtown photography business, said the main reason he voted no was the tax increase.

"I just don't think the people of Johnstown can afford a raise in taxes year in and year out," Marcucci said.

He said local businesses and others in the city are struggling to make ends meet.

Marcucci said he will know better next year how to deal with figuring the budget as it will be his second year on the council. He replaced the late Joseph Salamack as councilman-at-large.

Since the budget was released Oct. 20 as a tentative document by Mayor Sarah J. Slingerland, council members have said little about it publicly.

Slingerland said after Monday's session that she and the council, department heads and Treasurer Michael Gifford did a good job in developing the budget.

"I'm very comfortable with the budget," the mayor said.

Slingerland said the reason there might not have been many public comments by council members is they already talked to several people privately away from City Hall about the budget. She said council members also have discussed the budget with her, Gifford and other department heads at City Hall in the past few weeks.

Lakata said she has answered many questions from the public about the budget and is satisfied with the plan.

In addition, she said she asked many questions at the council's Sept. 29 budget workshop before the mayor released her then-tentative budget.

She said the comments she has received about the budget from the public were positive.

Gifford has said spending is up 4.5 percent for 2009, part of which is due to rising fuel costs for agencies such as the Department of Public Works.

The budget for next year is up by about $595,000 from the $9,329,200 2008 budget. The levy also is up from $3,179,200 in this year's budget to $3,689,200 for 2009.

Gifford has estimated about $300,000 in the fund balance will be used next year - taking the balance from $1.2 million to about $900,000 for 2009.

Expenditures in the 2009 budget are as follows: Common Council -- $22,600; mayor - $15,000; city treasurer - $215,400; city clerk - $64,900; city assessor - $92,100; elections - $9,700; public health - $5,000; historian - $1,800; city attorney - $142,200; public works - $2,351,400; fire department - $1,443,200; police department - $1,629,200; traffic control -$31,300; animal control -$48,000; housing - $2,500; program for aging - $135,200; unallocated expenditures - $367,000; debt - $260,500; employee benefits - $2,645,300; transfers - $441,900.