Auditor: City GF finances have improved

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Van Wert City Auditor Martha Balyeat had some mixed news for Van Wert City Council during her end-of-year financial report given Monday evening.

Balyeat first noted the good news: the city’s General Fund received an estimated $287,000 more in 2018 than it did the year before, with much of that total — approximately $200,000 — coming from income tax withholdings. That’s a good sign, since it means either there are more people paying city taxes or those paying taxes are making more money.

The city auditor said projections made at the beginning of the year had estimated the city would receive $6.194 million in revenues in 2018, but the actual number received was $6.537 million, or $343,000 more than projected.

In addition to receiving more money during the year than projected, city departments also spent $430,000 less than budgeted, with most of that total coming from the police and fire departments, which make up the majority of General Fund expenditures.

The bad news: $734,000 in General Fund expenditures is coming out of other funds. That includes $313,000 from the 0.22-percent Safety Capital Income Tax Fund for police and fire salaries and fringe benefits. In addition, a portion of salaries and fringe benefits for administrative employees, such as the mayor, auditor, law director, and safety-service director, are coming out of other funds as well.

That includes $130,000 in personal expenses and $52,000 in fringe benefits from the Street Fund, and $90,000 in personal expenses and $26,000 in fringe benefits each from the Water and Sewer funds.

Balyeat also noted that the city plans to use a third of the 0.22-percent Safety Tax in 2019 for police and fire expenditures.

“We’re moving in a positive direction, but the General Fund is still not self-sufficient,” the auditor said. “We’re still robbing Peter to pay Paul.”

During his report, Mayor Jerry Mazur noted that AEP will be changing out 5,700 city electric meters for “smart” meters that will allow for remote readings, saving the company the cost of employing manual meter readers.

The mayor noted that the meter switch-outs would begin in February and would include an approximately 15-minute power outage at each residence while the meters are being changed.

Safety-Service Director Jay Fleming said the city was still completing plowing in the city from the weekend snowstorm, and is anticipating a similar storm coming this weekend.

In legislative news, City Council approved salary ordinances for Council members and elected city officials for 2020-2023. Each year includes a small increase in salary for most positions.

Council also adopted amended ballot language that would allow the use of a portion of revenues in the 0.5-percent Street Income Tax to replace sidewalks on street reconstruction projects only, passed legislation setting health insurance rates for city employees, and voted to prepare an ordinance to allow the city to sell used equipment on the ohio.gov website.

Councilman At-Large Bill Marshall, who chairs the Health, Service, and Safety Committee, also requested that Council add language to an ordinance regulating trash collection in the city to make it clearer who would enforce regulations, particularly those related to certification of trash collection vehicles.

Also Monday, Clerk of Council Kristy Bartz was in her new position for the first time.

The next Van Wert City Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Monday, January 28, in Council Chambers, on the second floor of the Municipal Building, 515 E. Main St.