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Proposed 2015-16 budget presents key policy questions for City Council to address

By Howard B. Owens
File photo

A municipal budget is more than the tally of ledger entries. It is a policy statement. It is the tool elected officials use to set the agenda for what kind of community a city is or might become.

As the Batavia City Council nears its deadline for setting the 2015-16 budget, the spending decisions it makes could impact the quality of life for residents and the potential for economic growth and job creation for years to come.

The big decisions facing the council are whether to fund Vibrant Batavia for one more year, whether to retain the assistant city manager position, and whether to continue to invest in economic development.

There are those in the community who advocate for cuts in all these areas and some on council seem inclined to follow those suggestions.

In his latest budget memo, which is on the agenda for tonight's City Council meeting, City Manager Jason Molino doesn't respond to the call for cuts to these initiatives, which he sees as key to Batavia continuing on the strategic plan path it started in 2010.

He does offer proposed spending cuts that would halve the proposed tax increase.

"The budget is about understanding the different issues at hand, and the different liabilities the city faces and recognizing you have different projects and balancing your priorities," Molino said. "It comes down to how committed are you to the strategic plan, to community empowerment and economic growth. These are all policy questions."

When the council convenes at 7 p.m., they'll hold a memo that calls for:

  • Removing $10,500 for replacement of a slide at Austin Park;
  • Shifting a one-time upgrade to the City Clerk's file system from the 2015-16 budget to reserve funds, thereby cutting $4,920 from the spending plan;
  • Adding a $1,950 expenditure to assist the BID in purchasing flowers for Downtown;
  • Slashing management raises from 2.5 percent to 2 percent. This cuts $5,000 from the budget;
  • An alternative to funding the two open police officer positions. Instead of showing those positions as fully funded for 2015-16, fund only one of them for the full year (leaving open the possibility of a transfer into the department), and fund the other position for only eight months, saving $34,490.

This brings the property tax rate down to $9.21 per thousand, a cut of 9 cents off the original proposal. The average assessed home would see an annual tax increase of $6.30 cents.

In an interview Sunday, Molino discussed the need for funding Vibrant Batavia to help improve local neighborhoods, sticking by the strategic plan for economic growth; and the benefits of the assistant city manager position.

The policy issues involving Vibrant Batavia go beyond just the policy commitment the City Council made two years ago to neighborhood revitalization. It also touches on sound budgeting practices and not falling into the poor habits that dug Batavia into a deep financial hole nearly a decade ago.

Stripping out the recommended $45,000 to fund Vibrant Batavia wouldn't necessarily lead to a reduction in taxes, not unless the council wanted to finance the tax cut with reserve funds.

The $45,000 earmarked for Vibrant Batavia doesn't come out of the 2015-16 budget. It is money left over from the 2014-15 contingency fund.

The contingency fund is set aside for unexpected expenses and emergencies. Since there were no big draws on the fund in 2014-15, there is money available to help finance the city pursuing its strategic initiatives.

"If you go back eight years, the city used its fund balance each year to the point that it actually had a negative fund balance," Molino said. "That was the downfall of the city's financial position. It got to where they didn't have a fund balance to balance the budget. The fund balance is not something you can rely on to balance your budget."

Contingency funds, fund balance, reserve funds, are all intended for one-time or short-term expenses, just like a family saving for a vacation or a new car, not for operational expenses, Molino said.

So the first policy question the council needs to answer this budget session is whether it wants to use uncommitted funds to finance a reduction in the proposed tax rate, essentially using one-time funds to finance operational expenses.

If it doesn't, the next policy question to answer is whether the council wants to stick to its own strategic plan.

The strategic priorities of the plan:

  • Financial health
  • Governmental efficiency
  • Economic development and job creation
  • Neighborhood revitalization
  • Environmental sustainability
  • Public safety
  • Healthy and involved community members

"I view it as investing in the community, taking $45,000 a year and putting it toward a project that is intended to increase civic engagement in your community, and civic engagement is what makes your neighborhood a neighborhood," Molino said.

An example of such a neighborhood locally is Redfield Parkway, Molino said. Redfield, with its flags and Christmas trees and its own events and obvious neighborhood pride, might serve as an inspiration for other neighborhoods

"That's not the model that needs to happen on every street in Batavia, but what it does is allow residents to talk with each other on an individual level. That's sounds soft and fluffy, but that's what makes safer streets and it's what makes neighborhoods."

Molino said he understands some of the negative feedback generated by Vibrant Batavia, but it's important to grasp the larger vision.

"It's not like building a street or building a building," Molino said. "It's not tangible in that sense, but there is value to it and it needs to develop over time. It took decades and decades for Batavia to become a vital community. That didn't happen over one or two years. You can't expect to reverse decades of downward spiral in just a year or two."

Molino agrees with Council President Brooks Hawley, who fears all of the money and effort that has gone into getting Vibrant Batavia to only its second year of existence will be wasted if the council fails to fund it in 2015-16.

"If the decision comes to completely discontinue Vibrant Batavia, then we're out all that energy and effort," Molino said. "We haven't given it enough time to blossom and succeed. Ironically, all of the negative attention around Vibrant Batavia is that same negative culture it was intended to address.

"If we could harness all of that negative energy and turn it into positive energy, we would reach our goal twice as fast," Molino added.

The same policy and strategic planning questions apply to economic development (which we didn't discuss specifically) and the assistant city manager position.

The council agreed to create the position a year ago and in June Gretchen DiFante beat out a field of 60 applicants to win the job.

She's been a great choice so far, Molino said, and the work she's done in less than eights on the job has already more than paid for her $75,950 annual salary.

"She's accomplished a lot of work," Molino said. "What Gretchen has done on just one item, flood insurance, is something that has never been done in this city before. We're talking about moving more properties out of the floodplain in six months than had happened in Batavia all the years before."

So far, 12 properties are no longer considered part of the floodplain, Molino said.

"Combine that with the possible accelerated program on flood insurance so that residents can see real reductions in their flood insurance in the next year, that's impacting thousands of property owners predominately on the Southside," Molino said.

A reduction in flood insurance costs will have a real, tangible, economic impact on the city, Molino said.

"We have a great team of people working on that and a great leader working on that, and that's just one item," Molino said.

DiFante has also played a critical role, Molino said, in addressing the police and fire radio communication issue -- which DiFante had said was the biggest liability issue facing the city at one point.

Her overall responsibilities, besides flood insurance, include overseeing administrative services, including finance, the clerk-treasure, personnel, information technology, the youth bureau and assessment, with additional projects such as how to handle a burgeoning population of feral cats, the Redfield gateway and strategic planning.

An assistant city manager also frees up Molino to work on other projects. Not only would he never have had time to handle the flood insurance issue himself, even the attempt would take him away from other projects.

With DiFante on staff, Molino is free, with the help of staff, to pursue another complex, difficult problem facing the city: Abandoned and vacant properties, something he hopes to focus on this year.

"We need to climb some serious mountains and drive some serious growth, not just in the city but in the community as well," Molino said. "Of course, there's a limited amount of resources. If you keep cutting resources, you can't expect the same output."

Mark Potwora

So far, 12 properties are no longer considered part of the floodplain, Molino said.....Properties were taken out of the floodplain before she was hired..Last year before she was hired 6 properties were taken off with out her....

Feb 9, 2015, 12:41pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

It’s irrelevant the $45,000 earmarked for Vibrant Batavia is left over from the 2014-15 contingency fund.

Keep the money in the contingency fund.

The contingency is set aside for unexpected emergencies.

Vibrant Batavia is not an unexpected emergency, it is an entitlement debt.

Many find it interesting out of 60 anonymous candidates; our City Manager hired his friend Gretchen DiFante.

Just as it is interesting to many he wants to give her a raise with less than a year on the job.

However he offers a compromise to the proposed raise.

He proposes a slash and burn; the ground sown with salt ½% less.

Council needs to listen to the taxpayers....not climb Molino's imaginary mountains.

Feb 9, 2015, 6:47pm Permalink
John Roach

Richard, I hope you take the Republican nomination for the 3rd Ward over John Canale. Tired of the tail wagging the dog.

And you notice, they want to give BID money for flowers again? This money is over and above the flowers the City has for Main Street.

Feb 9, 2015, 2:35pm Permalink
Mark Potwora

An alternative to funding the two open police officer positions. Instead of showing those positions as fully funded for 2015-16, fund only one of them for the full year (leaving open the possibility of a transfer into the department), and fund the other position for only eight months, saving $34,490....

This is just an accounting gimmick...There is no savings the cost is there in the next budget..How much does a police officer make if not adding in his pay for 4 months equals 34,000 dollars a year..That would make his pay 100,000 dollars a year....

Slashing management raises from 2.5 percent to 2 percent. This cuts $5,000 from the budget;...I don't call that a slash i call that a nick...

Feb 9, 2015, 2:41pm Permalink
Rich Richmond

Yes, John; I noticed the entitlement of flower money to BID.

There is no big surprise here.

Entitlements are what liberals do to garner votes with other people’s money and specifically the taxpayer’s money.

Feb 9, 2015, 2:59pm Permalink
Scott Ogle

"Entitlements are what liberals do to garner votes with other people’s money and specifically the taxpayer’s money."

And entitlements are also what concervatives rush to claim, along with anyone else who quaifies, their lofty avowed principles be damned.

Feb 9, 2015, 4:01pm Permalink
John Roach

Genesee County management have not had a pay raise for 5 years. People on Social Security got a 1.7% raise this year. Even the US military received only a 1% pay raise.

And Molino wants a 2% (Down from 2.5%). What's wrong with this picture?

Feb 9, 2015, 4:58pm Permalink
Peter O'Brien

You want slash and burn? Drop the FD and PD. Pay for Sheriff coverage of an area they spend tons of time in anyways. Establish a volunteer FD over the next year. Drop the Assistant City Manager position. Committee members are unpaid and serve for 3 years, why should city council get paid? BID should be cut.

Doing all that "will have a real, tangible, economic impact on the city". More than any of Molino's proposals.

But let's not turn this into a discussion about my civic responsibilites again ok John?

Feb 9, 2015, 7:46pm Permalink
Debra Webster

i am tired of reading about arguing over $45,000 for vibrant batavia. just divide $45,000 (from the emergency fund) between all property taxpayers in the city and send them a Home Depot card so we can buy some paint, driveway sealer, etc Because after our continuous tax increases and because we are paying unnecessay 'assistants', we do not have any extra money to keep our property 'Vibrant'. All city, county and state politicians should be volunteers anyway. Voting for your own 'pay' breeds corruption. It's human nature and not everyone is perfect. There would be plenty of business owners that would love to volunteer their time to guarantee that the business owners and their employees (taxpayers) money was spent responsibly. Businesses are the ONLY source of money in this country, contrary to the belief that it's 'government' money.

Feb 9, 2015, 9:33pm Permalink

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