Greenfield sees $23,000 increase to income tax collections

Income tax revenues in the village of Greenfield are currently $23,000 up from this time last year, which the village council's finance committee chairperson attributes to moderate job growth. 

Greenfield Village Council member William Redenbaugh reported to council during their regular meeting Tuesday that the finance committee met for a "very lengthy" meeting Tuesday morning. 

The committee reviewed a detailed listing of income tax collections, and Redenbaugh reported that "we're $23,000 ahead of last year. So we're getting a little more revenue in that manner." 

Following the meeting, Redenbaugh said that he believes more people are back to work, particularly at Greenfield's Johnson Controls. 

"If we look back a year ago, Johnson Controls was just beginning starting back, and now they've increased production. That's 75 more people to contribute (to the city's revenue)," Redenbaugh said. 

Looking ahead to the year-end projections, Redenbaugh said that it's too early to tell what type of carryover the village may have.

"Four years ago, we were looking at closing out the year with $28,000. That's not enough to make payroll in January," he said. "We'll be considerably better than that, even though we've had some expenses." 

This time in December, Redenbaugh said, the village will have hard projections for the carryover. 

"We're still working through our major expenditures (with street paving projects and water plant construction projects that are ongoing). All of the expenditures are not in. We've still got expenditures that are out. They're encumbered, but not paid out, so we will see decreases in our balances." 

The finance committee also recommended appropriation changes in the police pension fund in the amount of $16,200. The legislation will be brought before council during the Dec. 6 meeting. Redenbaugh said this became necessary because this year Greenfield changed in the way they paid into the pensions, from a quarterly payment to a monthly payment.

Also during the meeting, Redenbaugh, who is on the board of trustees of the Paint Creek Joint Fire and EMS District, reported to council that the district is looking into the purchase of a new rescue vehicle and, according to a board member, are considering building one themselves with a possibility of thousands in savings.

"We are looking at the purchase of a rescue unit," Redenbaugh said. "Since they cost a fortune, we are looking at plans to build one of our own. It doesn't seem that complicated, if you start with the right chassis. We will do part of the work, and we'll farm out part of the work." 

Redenbaugh clarified that the vehicle was not a fire truck, but rather a rescue unit that is used on brush fires and similar calls and would have a small tank and a Jaws of Life. 

"(New units) cost $100,000-plus," Redenbaugh said. "We spoke with a company that will provide equipment. We could do it for $45,000 to $50,000. That could be a savings of $80,000 to $90,000. (With that amount in potential savings) it's at least worth looking into. I've preached this song before, but the biggest thing is to be frugal with the money of the people of the district and to make sure we're spending it properly." 

The district is still researching the purchase of a new truck, he said, because the current vehicle is an estimated 21 years old and "for all intents and purposes is mechanically questionable, which is a police way of saying it's junk."  

Additionally, the district had to appropriate $54,000 in their salaries line item of the general fund, Redenbaugh said. He noted this was not an increase in salaries, rather, "we had just under-appropriated," and the move will get the district through the next year. The district's next meeting will be Nov. 22 at 7 p.m. at the fire station, and Redenbaugh encouraged public attendance. 

In other business: 

• Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and passed 5-0 an emergency resolution "authorizing and directing the city manager to execute a first amendment to the Crossbuck Assembly Program." Council member Harvey Everhart said that the legislation modified the terms of the village's agreement with the Ohio Department of Transportation regarding signage at railroad crossings.  

• Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and passed 5-0 an emergency resolution adopting the village's electric aggregation program plan of operation. 

• Council voted to waive the three-reading rule and passed 5-0 an emergency resolution adopting the village's natural gas aggregation program plan of operation.