09-06-06 Personnel & Finance - Laserfiche WebLink

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Personnel and Finance Committee 2006 South Bend Common Councii The September 6, 2006 meeting of the Personnel and Finance Committee of the Soufh Bend Common Council was called to order by its Chairperson, Council Member Charlotte D. Pfeifer at 3:07 p.m. in the Council's Informal Meeting Room. Persons in attendance included Council Members Pfeifer, Kelly, Varner, Kuspa, Kirsits, Rouse, Dieter, White and Puzzello; Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, Public Works Director Gary Gilot, Ci#izen Member Martha Lewis, City Clerk John Voorde, City Controller M. Catherine Fanello, Building Commissioner Don Fozo, Fire Chief Luther Taylor, Division Chief Rick Kilgore, Citizen Member Martin Wolfson, Community and Economic Development Director Sharon Kendall, Park Superintendent Phil St.Clair, Dan Pinckert, Beth Leonard, Police Chief Thomas Fautz, Bob Goodrich, Mary Ann Myers, City Attorney Charles Leone, Catherine Toppel, Gary Llbbey, Tom 5karbek, Emily Lentyck, Ann HerndonJamie Laa of the Saufh Bend Tribune and Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Cauncil Attorney. Council Member Pfeifer noted that the members of the Personnel and Finance Committee include Cauncil Members Kuspa, White, Varner and herself as Chairperson; and Citizen Member Nikki Hutchinson. 2QQ7 Proposed Civil City Budget: Council Member Pfeifer welcomed everyone to the committee budget hearings on the proposed 2007 operating budget. She then called upon Mayor Luecke to provide an overview of the budget. Mayor Luecke noted that the line-item detail for each cost center can be accessed from the lap tap computers provided to each Council Member for the duration of the budget hearings. He noted that the proposed budget is balanced with approximately $197 million anticipated in revenue and approximately $175 million projected in operating expenses. $500,000 higher costs for gas are projected, with gasoline being budgeted at $2.50 per gallon. The capital expenditures will be reviewed in JanuarylFebruary 2007. Inter-fund transfers for the police and fire pensions in the amount of $1.1 million from the Rainy Day Fund are necessary. Mayor Luecke noted that he is working with TACT for additional funding sources. As a Member of "Hometown Matters" various legislative proposals are being prepared addressing such topics as local income tax, food and beverage taxes, sales taxes at the local level, etc. Lake, Marion and St. Joseph Counties will be impacted the hardest by the 2% circuit breaker. Health care costs are increasing, however new categories will be added so that city employees will have more choices next year. PERF expense are rises from 4.5% to 5.5% for non-sworn officers; asphalt costs are up 35%; fire and