2008 Budget Recommendations Reflect Fiscal Realities
A Message from Mayor Andrew Halverson

At the November 6 Special Finance Committee meeting, I introduced a budget proposal for the upcoming year, one that I believe offers a responsible plan for our city in 2008. There were a number of very difficult decisions made, but in the end we have a budget plan that keeps taxes low and funds vital programs like police and fire, while making a sound investment in our community's infrastructure and long term well being.

When the Comptroller and I began putting a budget proposal together, we started the process facing a $798,000 deficit between expenditure restraints and levy restrictions. The cause of this shortfall, as stated at the meeting, was a combination of increased costs, the state-imposed levy restraints, and the use of one-time spending sources in the last couple of budgets. In other words, increasing taxes was not allowed and one time transfers were not going to be enough - we needed to offset that deficit almost entirely by reducing or eliminating services.

The first thing that we looked at to address this was increased efficiencies within city government. We reclassified and consolidated a number of positions, changing and combining job duties, moving some positions and responsibilities to other departments, and cutting a number of current and planned positions. All of these moves were made in an effort to capture savings and increase efficiency in both the short and the long term. In the Mayor's office alone, we were able to cut $27,000, or 20% of that office's overall budget. Any increase in the Mayor's office budget is still calculated into that $27,000 savings.

After all of these moves, the city was still facing a hole. Instead of making cuts or in some ways furthering cuts to critical needs like police, fire, and road maintenance, we focused on programs that, while very important, are not as vital as those dealing with public safety or infrastructure. This led to the proposed cuts in recreational programming, which we now hope to keep in place with higher fees. We made these proposed reductions to find $70,000 that would go into the recreation budget over and above any fee that was collected.

Budgets should be about setting your community's priorities. But more and more, they are about picking the lesser of two evils. Instead of creating new programs aimed at economic development or public health and well-being, we are working under a state system that leaves us only with the choice of cutting either important programs or vital services. That was what we were left with, and considering the fiscal realities we are facing, we did what I think is the responsible thing for our community.

Every part of our community is affected by this budget, and with that in mind, I encourage any City of Stevens Point resident with questions or concerns about it to please let me know. I can be reached by E-mail or by phone at 346-1570.

Sincerely,

Andrew Halverson, Mayor of Stevens Point

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