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Department Heads Begin Making Pitch For Dollars In Township Budget
By Catherine Snipe
Among the first steps in creating a municipal budget sounds simple, but it isn't: Determining the fiscal wants and needs of the township's myriad departments.
Three departments of the township gave budget presentations this week, telling the township council that increases to their respective budgets this year come in the form of contractual salary obligations. Otherwise, the public works, purchasing and clerk offices reported mild increases, and in some areas decreases, to the bottom line.
The Public Works Department's operating budget, as presented by director Robert Russo, would increase 2.3 percent, if ultimately approved by the township council.
Public Works makes up about 18 percent of the total township budget, council president Stephen Acropolis said.
"I think 2.3 percent increase could be reasonable," Acropolis said. "We're going to take a look at it … but 2.3 percent growth is pretty good."
Public Works expenditures go towards trash collection, snow plowing and buildings and grounds maintenance, among other township projects.
Public Works presented a budget totaling $12.42 million, with $6.95 million of that going towards salaries, up five percent from last year, according to Russo. About $3.8 million would cover costs for garbage collection and landfill.
Councilwoman Ruthanne Scaturro asked if overtime pay could somehow be predicted or managed by weighing the cost of hiring more employees. Russo said sometimes overtime comes unpredictably, especially when there is a major snowstorm.
Acropolis said the public works budget includes some of the township's most essential services.
"If you don't pick up garbage or plow streets, people are going to notice and get mad," he said. "Some other things in your budget they are not going to notice."
The department is doing more projects inhouse instead of giving the work to outside contractors (done via a bidding process). That includes repairs to bathrooms in some township parks and recreation areas, Russo said.
Acropolis commended Russo's presentation, which had Public Works staff starting in November to build the coming year's budget figures.
Small Decrease In Clerk's Budget
Each department of the township meets with Township Administrator Scott Pezarras to discuss budget figures, with departments outlining their wants and needs for the year. Each department differs. Whereas Public Works employee numbers are large, the township clerk's staff is less than 10.
Township Clerk Virginia Lampman presented her department's budget request, which includes archival, vital statistics and secretary to the township council.
Lampman said salaries will total $570,000, a decrease of $550.
Much of her department's work is handling requests from the public, whether seeking out minutes of previous council meetings or applying for a marriage license.
"Everybody comes to our office, for a license or any question they may have," she said. "We are seen as the hub."
Purchasing Department
Sees Salary Increase
For purchasing, the third department to give a budget presentation this week, the main task is supplying the items the township needs. In total, the purchasing department is requesting $413,000, up $2,000 from last year, said Purchasing Director Richard MacDonald.
The operating budget is down 12 percent, and purchasing has its fingers crossed that postage stamps will not increase two cents this year, in order to preserve the budget decrease.
However, the department's salaries are up, MacDonald said, due to a collective bargaining agreement that gave union employees a five percent raise. Purchasing employees outside that bargaining unit are contracted at four percent raise, creating a total $14,000 increase in salaries this year for MacDonald's department.
The entire department, however, reports a budget that is 0.69 percent more than last year.
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