Lakewood Budget Talks Continue at City Hall

The city’s streets, the and staffing at the were among the topics discussed at Lakewood City Council's ongoing budget hearings on Monday night.

But before council will approve the 173-page budget, members of council will iron out some of the details before next Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting.

At stake are throughout city hall.

The meeting — lasting more than three hours — hosted presentations from several department heads as well as from Mayor Michael Summers, who first presented the proposed budget to council last month.

Little is expected to change from the original proposal.

“I do not anticipate any drumbeat of support for any specific changes (to the budget),” said council vice president Brian Powers, who is heading up the budget hearings. “When you’re cutting money there’s only so much wiggle room." 

Here are a few of the highlights from Monday’s meeting:

• Lakewood Municipal Court Judge Patrick Carroll expressed some concerns about the budget, specifically the restricted funds portion, which he noted could spell trouble for the future.
• Fire Chief Scott Gilman presented the ’s 2012 projections. He said he expects to keep staffing levels the same and hold overtime to a minimum. He also noted that the department is working to obtain some grants that would lighten the city’s financial burden.
• Joe Beno, the city’s director of public works, laid out plans for the streets, sidewalks, waste and refuse. He also noted that some pending grants — including the — that could change the department’s projections.

With about a $1.1 million shortfall in the city’s annual budget, as many as 17 positions at  could be eliminated through attrition in 2012, according to the budget proposal.

Lakewood officials have had time to prepare the 2012 forecast since June when Gov. John Kasich signed the , which slashed the city’s local government fund to the tune of about $1.1 million and eliminated about $200,000 in commercial activity tax.

Adding to the bad news, tax revenues are expected to remain flat in 2012.

To cope with the decrease in revenues, the proposed budget lays out a few key ideas:

• Not replace employees who retire, but rather consolidate positions. In July, city hall OK’d the . Expect more of the same in 2012. 
• Analyze cost savings of electricity, office supplies, fleet size and working with vendors. 
• Explore new revenue sources, such as fees and assessments.