By Arthur E. Foulkes
TERRE HAUTE — Terre Haute political leaders discussed the tightening city budget at a special meeting of the City Council on Wednesday night in City Hall.
The 163-page 2009 budget is a “fundable” budget, not a balanced budget, Mayor Duke Bennett told members of the council. As it has in recent years, the city will spend more money in the next year than it will take in, Bennett said.
Bennett noted that the city’s new budget calls for setting aside several million dollars for unexpected future costs. “We also have a couple of savings accounts, if you will,” he said.
Facing a decline in tax revenue of around $1.8 million in 2009 and $3.2 million in 2010, the city managed to cut spending by 6 percent this year and 6 percent next year, Bennett said.
The most difficult cuts will be in the 2010 budget, Bennett said. “It’s after next year where it gets more difficult,” he said.
One way to save money in the future could be for the city to move its municipal elections to even-numbered years, Bennett said. At present, city elections take place in odd-numbered years and cost around $500,000, he said. Combining city, county, state and federal elections could help save some of that cost, he said; however, that would give the mayor and members of the council an additional year in office before facing re-election, Bennett said.
Council President Todd Nation asked the mayor about a $100,000 item in the budget for animal control.
“We’re making progress,” Bennett said; however, there is “no money” to build and staff a city animal shelter, he said. At present, there is no place for animal control officers to take stray animals when the Terre Haute Humane Shelter is full or closed, he said.
“There is a lot of stuff going on there,” Bennett said of discussions regarding a solution to the animal control problem, but nothing that shows up in the budget, he said.
Bennett also said there are plans under way to allow the city’s new fire training facility to charge fees for its use. “We need to treat it as a stand-alone facility,” Bennett said, adding that a city ordinance will need to be passed to allow the facility to charge fees.
Nation also asked if the city could spare historic buildings presently being demolished when found to be unsafe. “I would plead for a little help,” Nation said, speaking specifically of homes in the Farrington Grove neighborhood. He said money being used to demolish old homes could be used to help transfer them to private hands.
Bennett noted that home demolition is handled by the Department of Redevelopment which, he said, “operates pretty autonomous of us.”
The bulk of the city’s spending is on salaries, benefits and engineering projects, Bennett noted, adding that he meets monthly with Vigo County Commissioners looking for ways to save money.
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
