Ford City Police, Budget Discussions Tied Together
A town hall meeting will be held in the Ford City High auditorium Monday night to discuss the police department and its impact on the 2015 budget.
by Jonathan Weaver
Ford City residents came in waves to support their local police department during two previous town meetings at the Latin American Club this summer.
But before the next one – next week - Borough Manager Eden Ratliff said residents should also think of how the department impacts the 2015 budget.
“The biggest thing I’ve been working on with the Finance Committee is the budget,” Ratliff said. “There are a lot of things that need to get done in Ford City –projects that haven’t been kept up on for decades and we’re certainly not going to fix all of this in one year.”
Residents may have to think about cuts to the overall operating budget or incurring tax increases to the maximum.
“This town needs to decide what you’re willing to do, and what the town can afford to do – what hard decisions do you want to make in order to move forward?,” Ratliff said. “And, of course, time is of the essence.”
Borough Council Vice-President Jerry Miklos – a member of the Finance Committee – recommended informing the public of that check list of all the municipality needs and “works backward” – eliminating items that can be held off for the future or altogether.
“It’s a very, very extensive list, and there’s no way we could raise taxes high enough to even begin to accomplish all of that,” Miklos said.
The budget discussion will undoubtedly continue, Ratliff said, at the rescheduled-town hall meeting to discuss the future of the local full-time police force. Ratliff will bring up individual budget line items and explaining what all resident taxes pay for, as well as detailing the current tentative budget that has yet to be voted on.
That meeting will be held at 7PM next week –Monday, November 17 – in the Ford City High School auditorium.
Miklos also justified the town hall meeting delay.
“We want to be as thorough as we can and answer as many questions as we can,” Miklos said.
So far, the budget is “in the neighborhood” of the 2014 operating fund budget - $2.5 million. The police department is estimated to cost about $514,000.
Police Committee Chair Vicki Schaub said the postponement was more a case of showing residents all the financial facts in comparison to what needs repaired or replaced.
Ratliff said that budget amount includes many additions that will be explained at the town hall meeting.
During the monthly police report, Police Sgt. John Atherton said at least four winter tires will be needed before snowfall. An order to purchase the tires at about $100 each has already been signed by Mayor Marc Mantini.
Council discussion was also held with Library Director Anita Bowser and Board Secretary Grace Charney. Two members of council are entitled to join the board in the upcoming year, and Charney had a question about ownership.
“It’s been generally accepted over the years that the Borough owes the library, and is presumed to be responsible for utilities, maintenance and landscaping responsibilities,” Charney said. “In the last 10 years or so, the Borough has not actually contributed toward maintenance of the building per se other than the air conditioning. The Board actually funded the new carpeting and paid the half of the matching funds for the Keystone grant for the new lighting.”
Water expense has also been spared.
Historical research shows that the Borough owns the property, but the library owns the building.
Bowser said the one-mill real estate tax enacted via referendum accounts for about 30 percent of the General Operating Budget and that board members are not going to quibble over the ownership.
“We just want something that makes us feel secure,” Bowser said. (“The Borough”) is very accommodating.”
A proposed ordinance amendment to the borough landlord-tenant act will also be advertised and available for public inspection.
In the amendment, all annual occupancy license fees will cost $50 per rental unit.
Borough Council President Kathy Bartuccio and Councilman Josh Abernathy voted against the advertisement, but a majority of council – Miklos, Schaub and Councilman Gene Banks – vote in-favor of it and the motion passed.
A special meeting is also scheduled for 6PM Monday, November 24.
By jorn jensen, November 11, 2014 @ 9:04 AM
The library needs to be self-supporting - do not tax the people for the library. The park can be self-supporting if it is turned over to concerned citizens and town government stays out of it. The last line item to cut in the budget would be the $500k for police - then, the last person out the door, please turn out the lights.
By blutoblutarsky, November 12, 2014 @ 1:12 PM
Who are these concerned citizens to “turn” the park work over to? It would be nice, but highly unlikely it would work out.
The police should not be eliminated, but $500k sounds really high for the size of the police force. I’m sure something can be trimmed there.
By sickofpayingforit, November 12, 2014 @ 9:18 PM
The public sector line items are always “higher” due to the benefits and such that the private sector has pretty much done away with.
With that said, I do feel strongly that the policemen, the local types, are typically underpaid if their expected workload is compared to the pay received. Not too many jobs out there involve a person being expected to corral the worst society has to offer……
We have plenty of public sector positions with MUCH less responsibility that offer comparable, or better pay.
Any mini-economy that still offers a pension plan, has no room to complain when the budget is blown. The private sector, meaning companies that HAVE to be profitable to stay in business, have shown this is the way to a balanced budget. Ever hear of Boeing?
By jorn jensen, November 13, 2014 @ 6:41 AM
bluto - The same people that cut the low-hanging branches off the trees to clean up the park when it wasn’t getting done by the local government-paid hires. Then, the people that did the work got heck for it from ………the head guy at the maintenance department. Pay attention to details.
Glad that we can agree to not eliminate the police department. There’s a lot else that can be trimmed/eliminated.
Leading in boom times is easy - leading in lean times is difficult. That can be seen up and down this industrial river valley. The biggest thing happening in Arnold and New Kensington is Crime Watch. Where did Alcoa go? Where did American St. Gobain Glass go? Hopefully, people will catch on some day.
By blutoblutarsky, November 14, 2014 @ 9:31 AM
jorn- it would be a little unfair to assume those people would continually be able to provide maintenance at the park. It’s one thing to do a good deed every few months, but unfortunately they may not have the time for constant upkeep. That’s a large detail you’ve missed.
By waldo, November 14, 2014 @ 6:58 PM
We need the police really bad but I think they could pay for themselves by enforcing the towns laws and arresting people. The borough manager isn’t doing anything fire him and pay the police with the money.