Greenfield raises more budget concerns
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The Greenfield City Council discussed budget concerns and the pending issue of recalling two dispatchers with the Greenfield Police Department who were laid off last year due to budget issues.
Greenfield City Council member Harvey Everhart said, during council’s regular meeting July 6, that he felt the city was going to increase expenses even though they had a decreased income. He also felt the city would not be better off by taking police officers off the street to handle phone calls.
Greenfield Police Chief Tim Hester previously told The Highland County Press that currently when people call the police station, they often get an answering machine. The dispatchers who were laid off, he said, took care of paperwork issues and answering the phone as well as dispatching calls. Emergency 911 calls ring in to the Highland County Sheriff’s Department and officers are dispatched immediately, he said.
When officers return to the station, they have to spend time listening and responding to the calls on the answering machine.
City Manager Betty Bishop explained that situation to council during the meeting. Everhart said that two dispatchers were not going to be able to handle all the calls, if the police department dispatch center is reopened, working 40 hours a week, and that an officer would have to be pulled off the streets when the dispatchers were not on shift.
Bishop said officers will not be off the streets, “No more than they are now. We will be so much better off than we are now. We’re going to make it work.”
Everhart asked if a schedule had been worked out yet, and Bishop said the GPD would do that and she has not seen it yet.
Council member William Redenbaugh gave a report from the finance committee, saying “Next year’s budget is an increase in the general fund balance through 2011. These are estimated figures and everything is subject to change. The whole idea is that we live within our means and
not spend more than we are taking in.”
Council heard and later voted 5-0 to pass, as an emergency, a resolution adopting the annual tax budget for the city of Greenfield.
According to the resolution, the total revenue for 2011 is projected at $1,101,489. It is estimated the city will have an ending cash fund balance of $276,150. It showed the revenue for 2010 was $1,123,487, with an ending cash balance of $260,964.
Everhart said, “In the revenue of our 2011 financial projections, we have a lot less in income and more expenses. Is that a correct
assumption?”
“I don’t know if we’re spending more ...” Redenbaugh said, and Everhart said if the city was “recalling folks” it had laid off then it was
spending more. Redenbaugh said there was an additional $15,000 to $16,000 that was going to be in the carryover that was not reflected in the budget numbers the council was looking at.
“Yes, your expenses probably increased over 2010, but that does not mean you are spending more than you are taking in,” Redenbaugh said.
“I guess I don’t understand, there are more expenses and less income,” Everhart said, and even if the city isn’t spending more than it has, it would be spending into its surplus.
Redenbaugh said he wanted to remind council that the figures were just estimates, and that more solid numbers will be available closer to the end of the year, and the city will have a better idea what its carryover and beginning balance for 2011 will be.
During the finance committee report, Redenbaugh also brought up that the city needed to address the issue of computer software in the auditor’s office. The software has become outdated and will no longer be available for updates after December. Redenbaugh said that
Greenfield’s ability to apply for grant funds to replace the software may be affected by its status, as reflected by the 2010 census.
“We will probably not obtain city status,” Redenbaugh said. “But we will not have those (reports) until late 2011 or 2012.”[[In-content Ad]]
Greenfield City Council member Harvey Everhart said, during council’s regular meeting July 6, that he felt the city was going to increase expenses even though they had a decreased income. He also felt the city would not be better off by taking police officers off the street to handle phone calls.
Greenfield Police Chief Tim Hester previously told The Highland County Press that currently when people call the police station, they often get an answering machine. The dispatchers who were laid off, he said, took care of paperwork issues and answering the phone as well as dispatching calls. Emergency 911 calls ring in to the Highland County Sheriff’s Department and officers are dispatched immediately, he said.
When officers return to the station, they have to spend time listening and responding to the calls on the answering machine.
City Manager Betty Bishop explained that situation to council during the meeting. Everhart said that two dispatchers were not going to be able to handle all the calls, if the police department dispatch center is reopened, working 40 hours a week, and that an officer would have to be pulled off the streets when the dispatchers were not on shift.
Bishop said officers will not be off the streets, “No more than they are now. We will be so much better off than we are now. We’re going to make it work.”
Everhart asked if a schedule had been worked out yet, and Bishop said the GPD would do that and she has not seen it yet.
Council member William Redenbaugh gave a report from the finance committee, saying “Next year’s budget is an increase in the general fund balance through 2011. These are estimated figures and everything is subject to change. The whole idea is that we live within our means and
not spend more than we are taking in.”
Council heard and later voted 5-0 to pass, as an emergency, a resolution adopting the annual tax budget for the city of Greenfield.
According to the resolution, the total revenue for 2011 is projected at $1,101,489. It is estimated the city will have an ending cash fund balance of $276,150. It showed the revenue for 2010 was $1,123,487, with an ending cash balance of $260,964.
Everhart said, “In the revenue of our 2011 financial projections, we have a lot less in income and more expenses. Is that a correct
assumption?”
“I don’t know if we’re spending more ...” Redenbaugh said, and Everhart said if the city was “recalling folks” it had laid off then it was
spending more. Redenbaugh said there was an additional $15,000 to $16,000 that was going to be in the carryover that was not reflected in the budget numbers the council was looking at.
“Yes, your expenses probably increased over 2010, but that does not mean you are spending more than you are taking in,” Redenbaugh said.
“I guess I don’t understand, there are more expenses and less income,” Everhart said, and even if the city isn’t spending more than it has, it would be spending into its surplus.
Redenbaugh said he wanted to remind council that the figures were just estimates, and that more solid numbers will be available closer to the end of the year, and the city will have a better idea what its carryover and beginning balance for 2011 will be.
During the finance committee report, Redenbaugh also brought up that the city needed to address the issue of computer software in the auditor’s office. The software has become outdated and will no longer be available for updates after December. Redenbaugh said that
Greenfield’s ability to apply for grant funds to replace the software may be affected by its status, as reflected by the 2010 census.
“We will probably not obtain city status,” Redenbaugh said. “But we will not have those (reports) until late 2011 or 2012.”[[In-content Ad]]