Borough Council Continues to Look at Possible Budget Cuts

The Madison Borough Council continued to look for a little over a million dollars that it can cut from early estimated budget numbers as representatives from police, public works and the health department spoke at the second of five budget hearings on Thursday.

The million dollars is the difference between the 4 percent tax increase allowed by state law and what Chief Financial Officer Robert Kalafut presented at last week's budget workshop.

On Thursday, specific numbers were not given out to the public in hand-out form because the council and administrator said the proposed budgets by some departments and the budget suggested by the borough are still unsettled. Administrator Ray Codey said that once the numbers are put into final form they will be available online and in the clerk's office for the public.

One of the budget item discrepancies is vehicle replacement and maintenance. Police Chief John Trevena believes the fleet needs three vehicles replaced, while the current proposal from the borough is for one. He also would like to see more money in the budget for vehicle maintenance.

"My dilemma is, again, replacing these vehicles but on the flip side of that take back from the maintenance," Trevena said. "It doesn't balance."

Codey said that the chief and staff do a great job of using their resources, but that given the state of the economy and the budget the money isn't there to add for the requested vehicles.

"If there are things they want to add back, they have to find a place to cut," Codey said. "We can't just add."

Codey also said that the borough and department may have to go to arbitration, as the borough's proposed 2 percent salary and pay rate increase and the sharing of health benefits across all public employees is something the PBA is not agreeing to.

In public works, Superintendent David Maines told the council that he and his department could work under the proposed borough budget, almost without exception.

"We will operate the best we can under it," Maines said. "We have no increases in the budget at all."

The other major questions from the council came while Health Officer John Theese spoke about the Health Department's budget. The department, which serves five other area municipalities, is looking for the same amount of money it was seeking last year.

However, Council President Jeannie Tsukamoto pointed out that it appeared to her that two health department staffers were scheduled to make an 8 percent raise instead of the 2 percent the borough is asking across the board.

Codey said that the health department isn't under the subheading of borough employees and therefore the board of health votes on how the budget is spent. The council votes on the budget total to give to the board to divide inside the department.

Don Links, liaison to the health department, said the department would be looking at more municipalities it could serve in the coming years to help decrease the money the borough will need.

The next budget meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 25, in the Chase Room in the Madison Public Library. Departments that will be discussed are fire, electric and engineering.