by Logan Gruber
operations@thenewsleaders.com
The city council finished its preliminary budget on time during their Sept. 21 meeting by compromising and finding a way to reduce the budget by approximately $55,000, or just under 2 percent. Renee Symanietz was the only council member not in attendance at the meeting.
The council received a presentation on the first draft of the budget at the Aug. 17 meeting and the second draft on Aug. 31; Sept. 21 was the final day the budget could be raised. The 2016 budget can only be lowered from this point on.
Discussion was lively about the cost to hire a community development director – with a salary of between $55,620-75,692, not including benefits – and whether it’s truly worth it. The Economic Development Authority is currently served by a contractor who is hired one- day-per-week at a cost of around $30,000 per year. Cynthia Smith-Strack, the current contractor, has resigned her position for 2016.
Council member Loso felt a replacement wasn’t needed, and that anything current staff couldn’t handle could be hired out to SEH or some other firm to do on an as-needed basis.
“Even if we hired someone, I don’t think it’s enough work for a full-time position. And we can’t afford it,” Loso said.
“But right now you’re just telling us to cut it, and you don’t know what it will cost [to hire it out],” council member Dale Wick said.
“It’s bad timing,” council member Matt Killam said. “I can’t support [hiring a community development director] at this time, but maybe we could budget it to start in October.”
A compromise was eventually reached to not cut the community development director position at this time, but to research what it would cost to hire out the role on an as-needed basis as Loso suggested.
The council also agreed to find a way to lower the budget by around 2.5 percent, instead of the 5 percent Loso originally wanted.
To make the $55,000 or about 2-percent cut, the city council and staff were able to settle on $5,000 being cut from the Greater St. Cloud Development Corp. fund, $2,500 which was budgeted for an Economic Development Authority intern, $26,000 which would have been used to hire a police officer if a federal grant had come in, and the rest from the police, administrative and public-works capital-improvement plans.
A truth-in-taxation hearing is set for 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7 at the city council chambers.
The mayor and council members work on a compromise regarding the 2016 budget at the Sept. 21 city council meeting. Pictured (from left to right) are the following: council member Dale Wick, Mayor Rick Schulz, council members Matt Killam and Bob Loso. Council member Renee Symanietz was not present at the meeting.
