Village Manager Paul Zelenak has asked councilmembers to rearrange the budget planning schedule in hopes of creating a smarter budget for coming year.
In previous years, the council held budget workshops after the manager’s office sketched up a preliminary budget.
This year, Zelenak is requesting councilmembers share their lists of goals and objectives for the village at a meeting before seeing the preliminary budget.
What difference will that make?
The manager’s office can take councilmembers? recommendations into consideration while penciling the pro tempore budget instead of revising afterward.
‘Even though we won’t know the numbers I think it’s a good exercise to get everyone going in the right direction,? said Councilmember Ken VanPortfliet.
Zelenak notes that the budget is the single most important policy-making tool, and with it, the council can plot a thoughtful and far-seeing course for the village.
‘The budget will create a roadmap for the future,? he said. ‘Council should be involved from the beginning in deciding where we should go as a village.?
A well-designed path will prove useful in the difficult economy.
Though the village doesn’t yet know the 2009 taxable home values, it expects a possible five to ten percent reduction in tax revenue.
Zelenak says the new budget planning schedule will help pinch pennies by eliminating reactionary spending by the village.
‘What we’re trying to do is look at long-term needs, not necessarily wants,? he said.
Council says it will do its best to include all current village services in the coming budget and make possible cuts in areas that won’t hurt residents or business owners.
‘The biggest thing will be to try and maintain what we already have,? Councilmember John Ranville said.
As always, the village welcomes community imput at council meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m.