Johnstown leaders preview budgets
By MICHAEL ANICH, The Leader-HeraldJOHNSTOWN - The city's proposed budget for 2009 is being inflated by rising fuel costs, including a near doubling of those costs for the Department of Public Works.
"It's going to be a real killer," Mayor Sarah J. Slingerland said of rising fuel and heating costs.
Eight city department heads spent more than 2 hours Monday night briefing the Common Council about their budget requests for 2009.
Some of the major requests included budgeting $30,000 for a city property revaluation and $40,000 to convert a former tannery on North Perry Street into a salt shed.
Slingerland said she and City Treasurer Michael Gifford have been reviewing the departments' proposals. Gifford said he will begin taking a comprehensive look at all the departments' requests this week.
Slingerland is not expected to present her draft of the budget to the council until later this week or next week.
City Engineer Charles Kortz presented his proposed $2.35 million Public Works budget for 2009, which is 4.3 percent larger than was budgeted for the current year.
He budgeted $100,000 for diesel and gasoline - up from about $58,000 requested for 2008.
"As you can imagine, the major charges coming are fuel," Kortz said.
In other DPW budget highlights, Kortz requested $40,000 in his snow removal budget to upgrade a portion of the former Alliance Leather site to turn it into a salt shed.
Kortz said the city did have a plan to work with Fulton County to establish a joint salt building on Route 29, but a grant applied for in fall 2007 fell through. Two of the council members said they received public complaints about turning Alliance Leather into a salt shed.
"We may have to make a tough decision just for fiscal reasons," Slingerland said. "It is a neighborhood concern no matter where we put it."
In other budget proposals reviewed by the council:
City Assessor Leamon Steele said the city now is poised to have a revaluation of properties done. Maxwell Associates has collected data for the revaluation over the last couple of years.
"There's an estimated cost to do that of $60,000," Steele said.
The assessor said $30,000 would be budgeted for each of the next two years.
Slingerland noted there is "no consensus" yet to do the revaluation, but funds can be budgeted.
"It's just there in case we get to that point," the mayor said.
Johnstown Police Chief Gregory Horning said he couldn't estimate some personnel costs yet because the city's contract negotiations with the Police Benevolent Association are headed to binding arbitration.
"We're not sure where that's going to go," Horning said.
The Police Department also is asking for a new patrol car and two unmarked cars.
Johnstown Public Library Director Barbara Germain reported her budgeting for fuel and utilities in 2009 has been "real scary."
"We believe we're going to go slightly over the $26,000 we budgeted for this year," she said.
She also noted personnel costs will be up 4.6 percent, which reflects an increase in the minimum wage for next year from $7.15 to $7.25 per hour.
Of the library's overall $369,000 budget for next year, $271,000 - 73 percent - would be allocated in the city budget. The remainder would come from state funds, private contributions and other sources.
Johnstown Senior Citizens Center Director Michelle Jones said a minimal raise is expected for three workers.
City Clerk Cathy VanAlstyne has requested less for election costs for next years because the city's polling places have been reduced from eight to four.
Michael Anich covers Fulton County and Johnstown news. He can be reached by e-mail at johnstown@leaderherald.com.
