The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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Officials to hammer out budget
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: March 29, 2007
The six-month process to balance the city's general fund budget of more than $10.5 million is under way, with city officials and elected council members dissecting departmental revenues and expenditures, and piecing together requests and projections for a healthy financial fiscal year for the city.
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Saline Finance Director Lee Bourgoin established a schedule in January, calling for the first work session and general budget discussion on major capital items the first Monday of this month. Staffers and council members received a 4-inch thick budget binder.
This year, Bourgoin said, the process was backed up because of late submissions and computer glitches.
Copies of the weighty document have been distributed and two of the five work sessions have been held. At the March 5 meeting, City Manager Larry Stoever introduced preliminary budget information, Bourgoin gave an early budget overview and city superintendent and engineer Gary Roubal discussed the capital projects that would require budget consideration.
The work sessions, held at 6 p.m. before City Council meetings at the municipal building, are open to the public. No members of the public have attended budget discussions, so far. City administrators and trustees are urging residents to attend the early discussions to ascertain areas of concern.
"Come forward now to the meetings or watch the community (cable) channel for meeting coverage, and call or e-mail a council member with questions if you can't make it," said Saline Council Trustee Glenn Law.
Council Trustee Alicia Ping is reminding residents not to wait until the public hearing to get involved in the process. The hearing is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. June 4. The budget will be approved after the hearing and any change in the millage rate will be announced.
A copy of the budget binder is available at City Hall and copies of the numbers from previous years can be reviewed at the Saline District Library or on the city's Web site.
Juggling Act
In looking at more than a dozen different budgets from various departments, boards and commissions, seven council members, including the mayor, will crunch through the figures, guided by city administrators who spend their days managing the properties, roads and people.
"We have to figure out what life would be like without this or that," said former Trustee Patrick Little, a former Saline mayor. "The budget is a living and breathing document and we need the input from our neighbors. We look very seriously at correspondence regarding these issues and appreciate any thoughts."
See the list of updated contact information above to voice an opinion.
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