Holt: Balanced budget by February council meeting WATCH THE VIDEO
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt confirmed to the finance committee of the Hillsboro City Council that the city will have a balanced budget by the February council meeting.
The finance committee met Monday to discuss the 2011 budget. Last week Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis said that approximately $400,000 would need to be cut from the budget before March in order to balance the budget.
"Basically, by the February meeting, we will be at a zero deficit," Holt said. "We've basically reduced the deficit $305,834.50. Mr. Lewis, (administrative assistant) Kirby (Ellison) and I have been working very hard on this and we should be able to present council with a budget for 2011."
In December, council passed a temporary appropriations ordinance which would carry the city through the end of February.
Holt asked Lewis if he agreed with the synopsis he had given to the committee, and Lewis said that he did.
"Right now I don't see a problem with bringing in a balanced budget," Lewis said.
Council next meets on Feb. 14, which Lewis said will give them an opportunity to work on it more.
"At this juncture we've closed out, this week, 2010 and ran all of our reports and the department heads and Ralph have been very good the past couple weeks as far as working on that. It looks like we're going to pass quite smoothly into this new year. And, hey, it's going to be a tight budget. There's nothing in there that's extra, no frills whatsoever. But it looks like all the numbers presented to me, and I have to tell you, I haven't done a lot of work. It's been Ralph and his department heads. After all, it's their budget. I'm just the one who puts it into a computer after you pass it. It's looking good. The numbers I've seen so far, it looks like by Feb. 14. they'll have everything quite under control."
Council member Mary Brown Turner exclaimed, "Hallelujah" following the reports by Holt and Lewis.
Following the meeting, Holt told the Highland County Press that rather than large sweeping cuts, the departments cut a little bit from each line item. Cuts included reducing employees to 35 hours a week in the administration, auditor and tax office, a $60,000 cut in the street department, and cuts to many various line items throughout the general fund.
"Each department in the general fund made reductions in some way," Holt said.
The departments that are funded through the general fund include the administrative offices, the auditor's office, tax office, street department, police, fire and EMS.
The cuts were made across the board, and Holt said that it did not appear that any one department was cut more than another, though he said he believed the largest single cut was in the street department.
Lewis said that those recent cuts, along with cuts and changes in some operations that have been going on over the past year, made balancing the budget possible.
"Right now we're looking at a preliminary carryover of $75,000 into 2012," Lewis told The Highland County Press. "I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but last year we had a preliminary carryover of $2,500. So it's a lot better. Some changes that have been made in the past have been helpful."
Lewis said moves such as hiring part-time firefighters to supplement the full-time firefighters on staff have resulted in a savings to the city, and the city has not replaced officers with the Hillsboro Police Department who have retired.
Lewis said that presently there are no plans to replace those positions.
"Let's work on improving what we have," Lewis said. "As soon as possible, those positions would be a high priority, when it comes to hiring personnel."
During the December council meeting, several residents spoke out regarding a decrease in crime in the city and how they would like to see more funds go toward the police department for additional offices. Two officers with the HPD retired in 2010 and two more are scheduled to retire in 2011.
"I feel that with this situation, we are grossly understaffed in the police department," Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said in December. "The bottom line is, we need to fill the two positions that were vacated through retirement in 2010 and prepare to replace the two positions that will be vacated in 2011. By doing this, we will still be one short of the positions (called for by city ordinances)."
At that time, council did not respond to Zink's request for more officers.
During the finance committee meeting Monday, finance committee chairperson Peter Pence asked Holt if the city needed anything from the committee. Holt said that he did not need anything from the committee at this time, but noted that Ellison had been a great asset in addressing the budget and running numbers.
Pence said he would like the finance committee and the administration to meet again prior to Feb. 14, "to be ready to go for that February council meeting."
While the budget is very tight, Lewis said that the city should be in good shape to make it through the rest of the year and into 2012, but he was remaining, "cautiously optimistic."
Hillsboro Safety and Service Director Ralph Holt confirmed to the finance committee of the Hillsboro City Council that the city will have a balanced budget by the February council meeting.
The finance committee met Monday to discuss the 2011 budget. Last week Hillsboro Auditor Gary Lewis said that approximately $400,000 would need to be cut from the budget before March in order to balance the budget.
"Basically, by the February meeting, we will be at a zero deficit," Holt said. "We've basically reduced the deficit $305,834.50. Mr. Lewis, (administrative assistant) Kirby (Ellison) and I have been working very hard on this, and we should be able to present council with a budget for 2011."
In December, council passed a temporary appropriations ordinance, which would carry the city through the end of February.
Holt asked Lewis if he agreed with the synopsis he had given to the committee, and Lewis said that he did.
"Right now, I don't see a problem with bringing in a balanced budget," Lewis said.
Council next meets on Feb. 14, which Lewis said will give them an opportunity to work on it more.
"At this juncture we've closed out, this week, 2010 and ran all of our reports, and the department heads and Ralph have been very good the past couple weeks as far as working on that. It looks like we're going to pass quite smoothly into this new year. And, hey, it's going to be a tight budget. There's nothing in there that's extra, no frills whatsoever. But it looks like all the numbers presented to me, and I have to tell you, I haven't done a lot of work. It's been Ralph and his department heads. After all, it's their budget. I'm just the one who puts it into a computer after you pass it. It's looking good. The numbers I've seen so far, it looks like by Feb. 14, they'll have everything quite under control."
Council member Mary Brown Turner exclaimed, "Hallelujah" following the reports by Holt and Lewis.
Following the meeting, Holt told the Highland County Press that rather than large sweeping cuts, the departments cut a little bit from each line item. Cuts included reducing employees to 35 hours a week in the administration, auditor and tax office, a $60,000 cut in the street department, and cuts to many various line items throughout the general fund.
"Each department in the general fund made reductions in some way," Holt said.
The departments that are funded through the general fund include the administrative offices, the auditor's office, tax office, street department, police, fire and EMS.
The cuts were made across the board, and Holt said that it did not appear that any one department was cut more than another, though he said he believed the largest single cut was in the street department.
Lewis said that those recent cuts, along with cuts and changes in some operations that have been going on over the past year, made balancing the budget possible.
"Right now we're looking at a preliminary carryover of $75,000 into 2012," Lewis told The Highland County Press. "I know that doesn't seem like a whole lot, but last year we had a preliminary carryover of $2,500. So it's a lot better. Some changes that have been made in the past have been helpful."
Lewis said moves such as hiring part-time firefighters to supplement the full-time firefighters on staff have resulted in a savings to the city, and the city has not replaced officers with the Hillsboro Police Department who have retired.
Lewis said that presently there are no plans to replace those positions.
"Let's work on improving what we have," Lewis said. "As soon as possible, those positions would be a high priority, when it comes to hiring personnel."
During the December council meeting, several residents spoke out regarding a decrease in crime in the city and how they would like to see more funds go toward the police department for additional offices. Two officers with the HPD retired in 2010 and two more are scheduled to retire in 2011.
"I feel that with this situation, we are grossly understaffed in the police department," Hillsboro Mayor Dick Zink said in December. "The bottom line is, we need to fill the two positions that were vacated through retirement in 2010 and prepare to replace the two positions that will be vacated in 2011. By doing this, we will still be one short of the positions (called for by city ordinances)."
At that time, council did not respond to Zink's request for more officers.
During the finance committee meeting Monday, finance committee chairperson Peter Pence asked Holt if the city needed anything from the committee. Holt said that he did not need anything from the committee at this time but noted that Ellison had been a great asset in addressing the budget and running numbers.
Pence said he would like the finance committee and the administration to meet again prior to Feb. 14, "to be ready to go for that February council meeting."
While the budget is very tight, Lewis said that the city should be in good shape to make it through the rest of the year and into 2012, but he was remaining "cautiously optimistic."
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