08-26-74 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 26, 1974 COMMITTEE ON FINANCE MEETING (CONTINUED) ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE APPROVING A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE BUREAU OF WATER OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, AND (1) BADGER METER, INCORPORATED, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AND (2) ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, FOR THE PURCHASE OF CERTAIN WATER METERS IN THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF $91,229.00 This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above ordinance, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mr. Paul Krueper, Manager of the Bureau of Water, made the presentation for the ordinance. He explained that the amount of $91,229 would be used for the purchase of water meters from Badger Meter of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Rockwell International of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He stated that the amount was approved in the budget and bids were (let and received by the city. He concluded that Rockwell and Badger Meter submitted the lowest qualified bids. (Councilman Szymkowiak made a motion that the ordinance be recommended favorably to the Common seconded by Councilman Serge. The motion carried. ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING MONEYS FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF THE SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE CITY GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 1975, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1975, INCLUDING ALL OUTSTANDING CLAIMS AND OBLIGATIONS, AND FIXING A TIME WHEN THE SAME SHALL TAKE EFFECT. (Council President Nemeth made a motion to suspend the rules and take up the tax levy ordinance and budget ordinance at the same time, seconded by Councilman Parent. The motion carried unanimously. ORDINANCE AN ORDINANCE LEVYING TAXES AND FIXING THE RATE OF TAXATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF RAISING REVENUE TO MEET THE NECESSARY EXPENSE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1975. This being the time heretofore set for public hearing on the above two ordinances, proponents and opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. Mr. James Barcome, City Controller, made the presentation for the ordinances. He indicated that the proposed budget contained few frills and extras. He felt the administration had made extensive reductions in the departments' requests and several new requests were also eliminated. A few of the new requests included tax rate funding of the Youth Services Bureau, the Animal Control Program and the River Bend Plaza Authority. Mr. Barcome talked briefly on the cost of the services provided to the taxpayers. He stated that the major increase was the raise given to the city employees. The raises were less than 3.0% for the current year and 10% for 1975. He talked about the cost of living at an annual rate of 10% for this year, with a similar rate anticipated for 1975. The average city employee would still be almost 7.0 behind the rate of inflation for 1975, even with the 10.0% raise. He also talked about the cost of fuel for the police, fire and other city vehicles; asphalt costing the city 49% more for each ton applied to the city's streets; and the increase in staple items of 15% to 30 %. He concluded by stating that, because of inflationary costs, when the city has to cut back on spendinc_ the officials trying to provide necessary services for the citizens are hampered. He stated that the budget had been prepared with the awareness that the city had limited revenues, and yet the administration realized that the city must continue the level of services that South Bend has come to expect. Council President Nemeth suggested that the Council propose the amendments as discussed and then open the meeting to comments from the floor. Miss Virginia Guthrie, Consultant and member of the Board of Directors of the Civic Planning Association, asked to be recognized at this point. She stated that she wished to make a few general comments about the budget before the individual departmental budgets were discussed. She stated that the Civic Planning Association felt the proposed budget for 1975 was the most difficult to review because of the format in which the administration presented the budget. She wished to call the following points to the administrati and Council's attention: 1. The figures were difficult to read because the print had been reduced too much. 2. The budget did not show the expense to June 30th of the current year. 3. The current budget did not add at the end of each department or bureau the carryovers from the previous year. Also, not shown were the additional appropriations made during the year to date. 4. The column "Previous Year Budget" should have been listed as "Previous Year Expense" or even better "1973 Expense ". 5. Employees were shifted from one department to another without identifying where they had been and where they had been transferred to. 6. The computation of the tax rate was difficult to follow because the detail of miscellaneous income was not shown opposite the computation itself. Miss Guthrie concluded by stating that the budget as presented for 1974 gave the number of employe in each department for 1972, 1973 and 1974, and the salaries, and the Civic Planning Association requested that this information be included in the format when the administration prepares the 197 budget. Council President Nemeth filed with the City Clerk the City Attorney's opinion regarding whether not the tax rate may be increased to include amounts for the lease payments and for the election expenses. Mr. James Roemer, City Attorney, read the following opinion into the record: I' s