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Politics & Government

Preliminary 2013 Easton Budget Presented

Early draft shows potential $1.5M revenue gap, calls for hiring eight new city employees

A preliminary draft budget for 2013 was presented at the Easton City Council meeting Wednesday evening. The early budget presentation and projections are required by the city's .

In the presentation, Mayor Sal Panto stressed that such early budget drafts for the have also contained such gaps, but that when the actual document is assembled, those shortfalls have been eliminated while still maintaining the current tax rate without increases.

The year after this coming one may be more difficult though, Panto said, due to decreases in of existing and often mandated programs.

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The current projected revenue for 2013 is flat or slightly negative at just over $28.57 million, and projected expenses at just over $30 million, or a difference of about $1.5 million.

On the expense side of the ledger, the administration lists salaries and benefits for eight full-time employees, including two code compliance officers, two highway department employees, an additional parks department employee, an assistant city engineer, an executive secretary for the Department of Economic Development, and a revenue and budget manager.

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The salaries of the eight,without benefits total just over $300,000.

"Obviously these positions will be evaluated as we assemble the budget which will be presented to Council in October (2012)," Panto said.

Additionally, the administration proposes funding the Greater Easton Development Partnership in full in 2013, for $420,000, more than double the $207,000 the organization is allotted for 2012.

"This group's record of creating jobs, retaining jobs and increasing the tax base has been remarkable,” Panto said. "Their programs receive ratings by the public, and they assist in all areas of the city to spur economic development. does not provide enough funding for these important programs and the Administration is recommending that permanent sustainability be achieved in 2013."

Other expected increased expenses include rising fuel and vehicle costs, expected to cost an additional $40,000 in 2013, a 10 percent expected increase in the city waste hauling contract, which comes to the end of its 7-year cycle, and possible increased wage and benefits costs in the ' and municipal workers' contracts, which the projected budget also sets $125,000 aside for legal fees and arbitration for, should it become necessary.

"During the next nine months as we in the administration begin to search for new or expanded funding sources, we ask that City Council also engage the public in meaningful dialogue that identifies the needs and the wants, and searches for the revenue vehicles to deliver them," Panto said.

The city council received the presentation with no comment, and no public attended the meeting.

The preliminary 2013 City of Easton General Fund Budget is available for view during regular business hours in the .

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