• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Letter to the Editor
    • Sunday Newsstand Locations
    • Contact Us
  • Classifieds
    • View Classifieds Online
    • Classified Rates
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Times-Herald and Sunday Times Newspapers

  • Home
  • News
  • Editorial
  • Police Blotter
  • Tempo
  • Lifestyle
    • Bridal
    • Food
    • Home Works
    • Home Improvement
    • Home & Lifestyle
    • Lawn & Garden
    • Savvy Senior
    • Sports
  • Special Sections
    • Chamber Chatter
    • Higher Education
    • Homecoming

City sets balanced budget while awaiting emergency manager

June 16, 2014 By Times-Herald Newspapers

By JAMES MITCHELL
Sunday Times Newspapers

LINCOLN PARK — Challenges awaiting the city’s anticipated state-appointed Emergency Manager were made a little easier with the approval this month of a balanced budget.

City council June 2 approved its anticipated budget for 2014-15, with some savings that eliminated an expected deficit for the year of more than $100,000.

Mayor Thomas Karnes said it represents a step in the right direction for the financially-troubled city, which still needs to eliminate a $2 shortfall over the next few years.

“We’re making improvements,” Karnes said.

Of particular benefit to the bottom line was the approval of a contract with the union representing senior police officers, and it was expected that an agreement would soon be reached with patrol officers.

“The command contract was accepted,” Karnes said. “We’re working on the patrol contract. The budget isn’t based on dreams — it’s not on the hope of getting concessions but on getting concessions.”

Public safety expenses are key to the city’s financial stability. Of the expected $21.5 million spending budget, police and fire services account for more than half of that amount with about $7.5 million for police and $4.5 million for fire.

Savings for fiscal year 2014-15 included the absence of a city manager. Joe Merucci ended his tenure last month, and interviews for a replacement were held while city officials debated whether to accept a consent agreement with the state to oversee financial decisions.

City council rejected that agreement, however, and Karnes said he expects the appointment soon of an emergency manager, which effectively eliminates the need for a city-paid manager.

“There was no point in taking it further,” Karnes said. “For the next 18 months or so we’ll be under an assigned emergency manager, so there’s no purpose in spending an additional $85,000 to $95,000 to someone who would have to run everything by the emergency manager.”

Compensation for the state-appointed manager would, Karnes said, be the responsibility of the state and not the city.

While awaiting the arrival of an emergency manager, Karnes said city officials and council will continue addressing the day-to-day needs at city hall.

“We’re still running the business of the city of Lincoln Park,” Karnes said. “Things have to get done and we move on. Obviously, long-term things will have to be reviewed by the state; we don’t want to do something and have it rescinded later on.”

Karnes said he hadn’t heard any further information on the state appointment since last month’s rejection of the consent agreement.

“It could come at any time,” Karnes said. “That’s totally up to them.”

(James Mitchell can be reached at [email protected])

Filed Under: Stories Tagged With: Lincoln Park

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 6, 2016 at 10:06 am

    lol !!!

  2. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 7, 2016 at 3:10 am

    You have absolutely no life. I’m sorry for you.

    +++++Moderator+++
    This person is a troll and is constantly harassing me

  3. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 7, 2016 at 3:11 am

    *** Moderator *** This person is using my USERNAME in violation of DISQUS. Could you please delete his commentary. Thank You !!!!!

  4. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 7, 2016 at 3:11 am

    *** Moderator *** This person is using my USERNAME in violation of DISQUS. Could you please delete his commentary. Thank You!

  5. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 7, 2016 at 4:31 am

    Oh now you’re back to this webpage that you did know anything about. You’re so full of it. Please stop harrassing me. **** Moderator **** . Please ban the imposter , Thank you .!!!!!!!!

  6. TeachersBestStudent1 says

    January 7, 2016 at 4:32 am

    MODERATOR PLEASE READ ************* Afterbirth
    Is the MODERATORS going to ban this obvious harrassmental idiot! He’s grossly immature and not that bright and will not stop. Will the MODERATORS do something????????????????????????????

Primary Sidebar




Search

Archives

Copyright © 2022 · Times Herald and Sunday Times Newspapers · website hosting by ixpubs.com · Log in