City Adjusts 1999 Budget

The Warsaw City Council approved $80,000 in additional budget cuts Thursday to bring the 1999 tax rate down to the targeted $2.73 per $100 of assessed value.

According to Mayor Ernie Wiggins, the State Tax Board examiner issued a rate of $2.76 if no budget cuts were made, and that was a higher rate than the council had authorized. To achieve the target rate, an additional $100,000 in cuts would have to be made.

To reach the desired tax rate, the council made the following reductions:

• $40,000 from street repair and maintenance;

• $20,000 from aviation machinery and equipment;

• $5,000 from park machinery and equipment;

• $10,000 from the police pension fund; and

• $5,000 from the fire pension fund.

Additionally, $20,000 in law enforcement grants awarded this year will be carried over and added to the 1999 miscellaneous revenue. Police Chief Craig Allebach said he would prefer to use the grant funds rather than make a $20,000 reduction in police equipment.

"We're scheduled to receive more than $20,000 in grants by the end this year," said Warsaw Police Chief Craig Allebach. "So we'd like to use that money instead of the equipment cuts."

The grants comprising the $20,000 come from the state Law Enforcement Assistance Fund, The Victims Assistance Fund and a COPS Universal.