Cuts Possible in Proposed Englewood City Budget

The City Council heard 2013 budget recommendations from City Manager Timothy Dacey, but the bulk of discussion on the coming year’s expenses centered on moving forward a $3.1 million bond ordinance for capital improvements to the Overpeck Creek retaining wall and John T. Wright Arena.

Dacey’s proposed budget comes in at a total of just under $60 million, up $155,000 from 2012. According to his proposal, taxes would rise slightly, at an increase of around $31 annually for an average home assessed at $480,500.

“It’s well below the state levy cap of two percent, and the appropriations cap of two and a half percent,” he told the council.

Many of the preliminary proposals include trimming or using staff more efficiently in certain areas, such as a proposal to pursue an agreement to share a health officer with another municipality when the current Englewood officer’s contract expires in July.

Dacey also recommended automation of the parking deck, which would eliminate three parking enforcement officers, and cutting Thursday and Friday trash pick-ups during leaf collection to reduce overtime costs in the sanitation department.

The manager predicted a “healthy surplus” from the 2012 budget, and recommended using $2.5 million of the surplus toward the 2013 budget—$800,000 less than was used last year.

“This should be an easy budget for the council to work with,” he said. “We’re in an excellent position with a healthy surplus and my team has worked hard to reduce costs and get more efficient so we can help the taxpayers of Englewood.”

But the meat of discussion on the city’s financial situation focused on an ordinance to bond money for repairs to infrastructure damaged during Superstorm Sandy.

Superstorm Sandy damaged the roof of the John T. Wright Arena, exposing the interior to additional damage from the weather. The ordinance would also bond money for improvements to the century-old retaining wall that runs along the park to help prevent flooding.

The total cost of the projects would come in at around $4.1 million—$2 million for the retaining wall and $1.1 million for the arena. The city will bond $3.1 million, with the expectation that the remainder will be covered by FEMA and private grants.

Mayor Frank Huttle urged the council to move forward in introducing the ordinance. 

“I ask the council to vote in favor tonight for the introduction of this bond ordinance to allow full and transparent government, so that all residents of the community can fully participate in public hearings to hear the facts of the needs of this city property unfiltered,” Huttle said.

But debate followed a motion by Councilman Wayne Hamer to table the ordinance, citing the need to integrate improvements to the arena in a more comprehensive recreation plan for the city. The motion was seconded by Councilman Eugene Skurnick.

“I’m not against using the money to repair and redo what’s needed at the arena,” Hamer said, “but I think our recreation resolution and solutions ought to be more comprehensive and include all of MacKay.”

Skurnick argued against coupling the two projects, saying that while a consensus had been reached on the council for repairs to the retaining wall, no consensus had been reached on the line item improvements to the arena, such as a new sound-system, scoreboard, and concession stand.

He called the ordinance an “attempt to link a snack bar in the Wright Arena with a critical item to prevent flooding in the fourth ward,” where both the park and the retaining wall are located.

City Clerk Lauren Vande Vaarst noted that a multipurpose ordinance “is how we actually pass most of our bonds here in the city of Englewood.”

Councilman Michael Cohen, while pointing out that he had reservations about some of the specifics of the plan, called the motion to table the ordinance a “stall tactic.”

“To me, if we’re looking at saying let’s open this up to everything all over again, it’s basically the death knell of the ice arena,” he said. “And that’s not something I’m prepared to do.”

He and Councilman Marc Forman agreed that moving forward to introduce the ordinance was important in maintaining a timetable to keep repairs to the arena on track and reopening it in a timely manner, but that the project should be scrutinized line by line in the next month.

“I don’t think the city can afford to make all the repairs that have been shown to us, and that’s why we would want to have...a line by line discussion on what we should bond and what we should not,” Forman said.

Cohen, Forman, and Councilwoman Lynne Algrant voted against Hamer’s motion and in favor of introducing the ordinance, though there are evident disagreements on the size and substance of improvements to the arena.

“With the understanding that substantial changes will be made in the amount bonded, I will vote yes,” Forman said in casting his vote to move forward on the ordinance.

Mayor Huttle plans to hold a town meeting on the park and arena improvements Monday, February 11 at 6:30 pm at the Community Baptist Church. The next hearing on the ordinance will take place February 12, with a vote now scheduled for February 26.

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