09-10-01 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING SEPTEMBER 10, 2001 INCLUDING ALL OUTSTANDING CLAIMS AND OBLIGATIONS, AND FIXING A TIME WHEN THE SAME SHALL TAKE EFFECT BILL NO. 78 -01 PUBLIC HEARING ON A BILL APPROPRIATING MONIES FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFRAYING THE EXPENSES OF SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE CIVIL CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2002, AND ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2002, INCLUDING ALL OUTSTANDING CLAIMS AND OBLIGATIONS, AND FIXING A TIME WHEN THE SAME SHALL TAKE EFFECT Councilmember Kelly made a motion to combine Bill Nos. 76 -01, 77 -01 and 78 -01 for purposes of Public Hearing. Councilmember Coleman seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of six (6) ayes. Councilmember Varner reported that the Personnel and Finance Committee conducted a Public Hearing on these bills and they come to the full Council with no recommendation because of the lack of a quorum. Mayor Stephen J. Luecke, 1400 County -City Building, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for these bills. Mayor Luecke advised that these bills set the property tax rates as part of the mechanism to fund City services and to give the Council permission for the City to spend those property taxes as well as other revenues that will be generated to provide services to the citizens of this community. The Mayor read the property tax rates as outlined in the bill. He noted that these numbers are lower than in the past because of a technical mechanism the State has decided that whereas true tax value used to be one -third (1/3) of the assessed value they are now going to one hundred per cent (100 %). Because the assessed value is going up, correspondingly the property tax rates drop. These rates were set high to allow the City to capture the full five per cent (5 %) increase in property tax levy. When the final assessed value is set then the State Board of Accounts will adjust the rates so that the City captures only the amount of money that it is allowed. Mayor Luecke thanked members of the Council for the extensive budget hearings that have been conducted to allow department heads to present their budgets, along with their plans for next year and a chance to review what they have been doing and ways to improve. He also thanked the department heads for their hard work in managing their departments and preparing a positive budget for next year. Mr. Tom Skarbek was also thanked for managing this budget process in the absence of a City Controller. Mayor Luecke stated that he is proud of the budget being presented. It is a comprehensive budget which provides for the needs of the citizens. It provides for public safety, for parks and recreation, for utilities, for streets, for a clean city, for new ways of doing things such as the new sweeper system that they are instituting, for police technology, for remote reading of water meters, and for better ways of doing things such as the cooperation between the Department of Code Enforcement and the special pick up program to get piles of trash cleaned. It provides for assistance for the safety coordinator so the City can continue its focus on work place safety. It provides for reorganization of traffic and lighting and for better filters for our water systems. It provides for new headwork and clarifiers to operate them property at the wastewater treatment plant and for funds for on -going and for future capital projects as well as keeping the City fiscally sound by maintaining healthy cash reserves. It prepares the City for an uncertain future. VA