A special meeting has been set for 5 p.m. on Friday to consider the 2020-21 budget for the city of Trenton after members of the city council’s Finance Committee agreed to make additional cuts.
Committee members on Wednesday afternoon agreed to a reduction of expenditures which, along with new revenues the city anticipates receiving that were not included in the original budget, lowers the deficit in the city budget to $115,696. The deficit in the budget considered by the council at a meeting on Monday night had been listed at just over $158,000. That budget ordinance was defeated on a 4-4 vote (ordinances need five votes in favor to pass). Voting no were council members Brad Chumbley, Danny Brewer, David Mlika and Lou Fisher . In favor were Glen Briggs, Cathie Smith, Larry Crawford and John Dolan.
Reductions were made in the budgets for administration, public safety, the airport and non-departmental items in areas such as worker’s compensation, insurance, travel, equipment/repairs/maintenance, rental property upkeep, fuel and supplies. In addition, it was learned the city would be receiving a $20,000 grant for use at the airport as well as grant funds that will pay for the purchase of body cam kits in the police department, providing additional revenues that had not been counted on in the first budget.
Crawford, who serves as chairman of the committee, began the meeting by asking those who voted no on the budget on Monday night to state what they would like to see taken out of the budget. Mlika, who is not a member of the committee, said he favored employee raises but felt the budget needed to be trimmed in order to make those happen because of concerns he has with sales tax projections. Mlika had expressed that same concern during Monday night’s meeting and had suggested the council wait until August before considering raises.
Chumbley, who had requested the finance committee take another look at the budget, stated he thinks the city needs to be as conservative as possible given the uncertainty of sales tax revenues. He said his original intent for finding additional cuts was to make sure he could justify voting to keep the $20,000 budgeted for economic development instead of using that money in other areas. The ED funds remain in the budget the committee will be sending to the council for approval along with salary increases for employees.
Brewer, who was a no vote, came into the meeting later while Fisher, who was the other no vote, was not in attendance. Briggs, who was a yes vote, was also present at the meeting.
All department heads (Police Chief Rex Ross, Fire Chief Brandon Gibler, Street Supervisor Gary Dryer and Code Enforcement Officer Wes Barone) as well as City Clerk Cindy Simpson and City Administrator Ron Urton were in attendance at Wednesday night’s meeting and provided input on areas they felt additional cuts could be made.
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