Syracuse Council Plans 2004 Budget
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SYRACUSE - Even though most of the town of Syracuse departments barely proposed budget raises for 2004, the Syracuse Town Council still had to look for $53,124 in cuts.
The grand total of the budgets proposed was $2,964,186. To cut the budget down to size and remain no more than $10,000 over the maximum amount the state allows the town to raise, after all the departments presented their 2004 proposed budgets, the town council instructed each of the departments to cut more money from their budgets pro-rated on the size of their department's budget compared to the total budget of all the departments. Each of the departments was allowed to choose where the cuts came from as town manager Brian Redshaw said that is what the departments wanted.
First, however, the town council will cut $6,000 from dispatch for computers; $4,000 from the clerk's office for computers; and $2,000 from the town manager's budget for computers - that leaves a final amount over levy of $41,124. Money for computers will be used out of the cumulative capital improvement property tax to pay for them. After the computer cuts and after each of the departments makes its pro-rated cuts, the town council's 2004 proposed budget will be $10,000 over budget.
The street department for 2004 proposed a 1.21 percent budget increase of $6,929 to $579,047, compared to the 2003 budget of $572,118. Based on the pro-rated schedule, the street department will have to cut an additional $8,636 from its budget.
The parks and recreation department proposed a 6.4 percent budget increase of $15,012 to $249,567, compared to the 2003 budget of $234,555. The increase includes an increase of $6,944 for the program director plus increases in Social Security and health insurance. The department, however, did cut approximately $10,000 out of other funds to make up for the program director's salary increase. The parks and recreation department will have to cut an additional $3,701 from its budget, based on the pro-rated cuts.
The cumulative park fund is $16,000.
Police department's budget for 2004 was proposed at $754,007, an increase of $7,801, or 1.05 percent, from the 2003 budget of $746,206. Most of the police department's increase was due to pay increases and related expenses. The police chief's increase is $3,178 to $45,818; detective, increase of $1,965 to $37,481; all patrolmen, an increase of $9,761 to a total of $249,730; secretary, an increase of $410 to $31,640; crossing guard, an increase of $221 to $7,550; and sergeant, an increase of $1,965 to $37,481.
The police department will have to cut an additional $11,268 from their budget. The police budget is approximately 25 percent of the town's total budget.
The police did move the humane officer's salary of $27,600 to the animal control officer's budget for 2004, which totals $56,805. According to town marshal Tom Perzanowski, the animal control officer also handles code enforcement and other duties as assigned, not just animal control. The council discussed changing the job title of the position to code enforcement. Animal control will have to cut an additional $863 from their budget.
Law enforcement continuing education fund for 2004 is $5,000. The fund is financed by fees, not any property tax levy.
The dispatchers budget dropped 3.11 percent from $231,707 in 2003 to $224,500 in 2004. The decreases came in the Social Security, health insurance, longevity, retirement, equipment repairs and dues accounts. Dispatch still will have to cut an additional $3,331 from its budget.
For the fire department, Chief Mickey Scott proposed a 3.19 percent budget increase of $12,092, from $378,647 in 2003 to $390,739 in 2004. Like the police department, the fire department's increase came mostly for salaries. Full-time chief's increase is $2,545 for a total of $45,185 for 2004; full-time firemen, $2,212, for a total of $142,224; and part-time firemen, $4,832, a total for 2004 of $6,832. An additional $2,000 was added to the budget for overtime.
The fire department will have to cut an additional $5,840 from their budget.
Cumulative fire fund was proposed at $17,500.
By percentage, the largest increase for a department was proposed by Scott for the EMS - 13.86 percent. The 2003 EMS budget is $183,879, with the proposed 2004 budget jumping $25,481 to $209,360. The increase includes $3,000 for a medical director; an increase of $2,255 for full-time paramedics; $5,403 for part-time paramedics; $1,000 for overtime; and $7,581 for Social Security benefits.
EMS will not have to cut any additional funds from their budget.
While the EMS proposed the largest increase by percentage, the largest decrease by percentage came from the clerk-treasurer's office. The 11.5 percent decrease dropped the 2003 budget of $469,139 to $415,206 for 2004. However, the town council insisted $5,000 be put back in each of the engineering, legal and architecture accounts and the industrial expansion account, making the 2004 proposed clerk's budget $425,206, which is still a cut of $43,933 for the department. The clerk's office had proposed cutting the two accounts by $18,000 and $10,000, respectively.
The clerk's office still will have to cut an additional $6,210 from its budget.
The cumulative capital development fund is $42,000, which is committed to help pay off the bond issue for the community center. The Economic Development Income Tax fund is $203,275. That money is earmarked for Ind. 13 improvements.
Redshaw's 2004 proposed budget of $84,955 is 2.95 percent, up from the 2003 budget of $82,517. This budget represents 80 percent of the salary and benefits for the town manager. The remaining 20 percent will be split between the water and wastewater departments.
An additional $1,275 will have to be cut from the town manager's budget, based on the pro-rated schedule.
The council approved to have the first reading of the proposed 2004 budget Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. The second reading and adoption of the budget will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the regular meeting.
An executive session to discuss the acquisition of property is at 5:30 p.m. July 29.
Members of the town council are chairwoman Barbara Carwile, Paul Stoelting, Carol Koble, Larry Siegel and Bill Hane. [[In-content Ad]]
SYRACUSE - Even though most of the town of Syracuse departments barely proposed budget raises for 2004, the Syracuse Town Council still had to look for $53,124 in cuts.
The grand total of the budgets proposed was $2,964,186. To cut the budget down to size and remain no more than $10,000 over the maximum amount the state allows the town to raise, after all the departments presented their 2004 proposed budgets, the town council instructed each of the departments to cut more money from their budgets pro-rated on the size of their department's budget compared to the total budget of all the departments. Each of the departments was allowed to choose where the cuts came from as town manager Brian Redshaw said that is what the departments wanted.
First, however, the town council will cut $6,000 from dispatch for computers; $4,000 from the clerk's office for computers; and $2,000 from the town manager's budget for computers - that leaves a final amount over levy of $41,124. Money for computers will be used out of the cumulative capital improvement property tax to pay for them. After the computer cuts and after each of the departments makes its pro-rated cuts, the town council's 2004 proposed budget will be $10,000 over budget.
The street department for 2004 proposed a 1.21 percent budget increase of $6,929 to $579,047, compared to the 2003 budget of $572,118. Based on the pro-rated schedule, the street department will have to cut an additional $8,636 from its budget.
The parks and recreation department proposed a 6.4 percent budget increase of $15,012 to $249,567, compared to the 2003 budget of $234,555. The increase includes an increase of $6,944 for the program director plus increases in Social Security and health insurance. The department, however, did cut approximately $10,000 out of other funds to make up for the program director's salary increase. The parks and recreation department will have to cut an additional $3,701 from its budget, based on the pro-rated cuts.
The cumulative park fund is $16,000.
Police department's budget for 2004 was proposed at $754,007, an increase of $7,801, or 1.05 percent, from the 2003 budget of $746,206. Most of the police department's increase was due to pay increases and related expenses. The police chief's increase is $3,178 to $45,818; detective, increase of $1,965 to $37,481; all patrolmen, an increase of $9,761 to a total of $249,730; secretary, an increase of $410 to $31,640; crossing guard, an increase of $221 to $7,550; and sergeant, an increase of $1,965 to $37,481.
The police department will have to cut an additional $11,268 from their budget. The police budget is approximately 25 percent of the town's total budget.
The police did move the humane officer's salary of $27,600 to the animal control officer's budget for 2004, which totals $56,805. According to town marshal Tom Perzanowski, the animal control officer also handles code enforcement and other duties as assigned, not just animal control. The council discussed changing the job title of the position to code enforcement. Animal control will have to cut an additional $863 from their budget.
Law enforcement continuing education fund for 2004 is $5,000. The fund is financed by fees, not any property tax levy.
The dispatchers budget dropped 3.11 percent from $231,707 in 2003 to $224,500 in 2004. The decreases came in the Social Security, health insurance, longevity, retirement, equipment repairs and dues accounts. Dispatch still will have to cut an additional $3,331 from its budget.
For the fire department, Chief Mickey Scott proposed a 3.19 percent budget increase of $12,092, from $378,647 in 2003 to $390,739 in 2004. Like the police department, the fire department's increase came mostly for salaries. Full-time chief's increase is $2,545 for a total of $45,185 for 2004; full-time firemen, $2,212, for a total of $142,224; and part-time firemen, $4,832, a total for 2004 of $6,832. An additional $2,000 was added to the budget for overtime.
The fire department will have to cut an additional $5,840 from their budget.
Cumulative fire fund was proposed at $17,500.
By percentage, the largest increase for a department was proposed by Scott for the EMS - 13.86 percent. The 2003 EMS budget is $183,879, with the proposed 2004 budget jumping $25,481 to $209,360. The increase includes $3,000 for a medical director; an increase of $2,255 for full-time paramedics; $5,403 for part-time paramedics; $1,000 for overtime; and $7,581 for Social Security benefits.
EMS will not have to cut any additional funds from their budget.
While the EMS proposed the largest increase by percentage, the largest decrease by percentage came from the clerk-treasurer's office. The 11.5 percent decrease dropped the 2003 budget of $469,139 to $415,206 for 2004. However, the town council insisted $5,000 be put back in each of the engineering, legal and architecture accounts and the industrial expansion account, making the 2004 proposed clerk's budget $425,206, which is still a cut of $43,933 for the department. The clerk's office had proposed cutting the two accounts by $18,000 and $10,000, respectively.
The clerk's office still will have to cut an additional $6,210 from its budget.
The cumulative capital development fund is $42,000, which is committed to help pay off the bond issue for the community center. The Economic Development Income Tax fund is $203,275. That money is earmarked for Ind. 13 improvements.
Redshaw's 2004 proposed budget of $84,955 is 2.95 percent, up from the 2003 budget of $82,517. This budget represents 80 percent of the salary and benefits for the town manager. The remaining 20 percent will be split between the water and wastewater departments.
An additional $1,275 will have to be cut from the town manager's budget, based on the pro-rated schedule.
The council approved to have the first reading of the proposed 2004 budget Sept. 2 at 6 p.m. The second reading and adoption of the budget will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the regular meeting.
An executive session to discuss the acquisition of property is at 5:30 p.m. July 29.
Members of the town council are chairwoman Barbara Carwile, Paul Stoelting, Carol Koble, Larry Siegel and Bill Hane. [[In-content Ad]]