Middletown Forum : Budget Cuts

Middletown Forum : Budget Cuts http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ This is an XML content feed of; Middletown Forum : City Manager : Budget Cuts Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:15:25 +0000 Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:56:39 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 10.12 360 www.middletownusa.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=1243 Middletown Forum http://middletownusa.com/images/blog-logo.jpg http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/ Budget Cuts : Smartman; SO true SO true SO true... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5995&title=budget-cuts#5995 Author: Impala SS
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 10:56pm

LOL

Smartman; SO true SO true SO true you hit the nail on the head. What a threesome they make. Clap

Remember ALL WE THE PEOPLE HOLD THE CARDS COME NOVEMBER Clap

.Get out and vote new people in office.]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:56:39 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5995&title=budget-cuts#5995 Budget Cuts : An honest, sincereacquaintance... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5994&title=budget-cuts#5994 Author: Perplexed
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 10:04pm

An honest, sincere acquaintance of mine no longer works for our secretive City government because he believed in full public access to fiscal and programmatic information regarding HUD funds. Too bad City Council members and the local press are silent about his "resignation" as well as other City Hall secrets! Clean house in November!]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:04:14 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5994&title=budget-cuts#5994 Budget Cuts : http://www.serb.state.oh.us/... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5993&title=budget-cuts#5993 Author: Pacman
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 9:46pm

http://www.serb.state.oh.us/sections/research/web%20fact-finding/07-MED-02-0095.pdf

http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/rates/nonpostalhmo2009.pdf

http://www.cityofmiddletown.org/docs/council/632008_m.pdf

Health Insurance Update – Sara Mills, Asst. Law Director stated they

have taken a look at first quarter data and the figures look on tract. The

committee has been talking about putting health care plan out for proposal and

they are hoping to get a better price through RFP’s. The prescription process

should show significant savings. The City went through a somewhat painful

process to verify all insured and about 72 persons came off the program.

Some dependents were being claimed, some children that had exceeded the age of 23 and the employees weren’t aware that children needed to come off.

They will continue to do spot auditing. Mrs. Mills stated a data base was

created with the first audit and employees with children were flagged. It was a

real positive thing to get the audit done. They are estimating savings at

$100,000 up front plus a long term savings. These are continuing efforts on

ways to control health care cost, health reimbursement account, and spousal

coverage issues. Middletown has a very successful wellness program as well

as an educational piece to help reduce health risks. They foresee coming back

after they receive all the first half of year figures.

http://www.cityofmiddletown.org/docs/council/342008_w.pdf

Exhibit a page 71 for a look at a union agreement the city has.

Benefits are a major area that the City needs to re-evaluate itself. Employees only paying 7% of their Health Insurance and having copays that most citizens can only dream of is truly out of line with todays worls. Even Federal employees pay about 25% of their insurance premiums. Then you have the City carry 72 people on their Health Insurance Policy and not even being aware of it. There should be a yearly audit of everyone included on the City's policy.

]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:46:04 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5993&title=budget-cuts#5993 Budget Cuts : Never fear y'all. Auntie... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5992&title=budget-cuts#5992 Author: Smartman
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 9:20pm

Never fear y'all. Auntie Annie and her gang will fix all! She know best. Her sidekid Sam Ashworth is special friends with Ms Gilliland!]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 21:20:43 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5992&title=budget-cuts#5992 Budget Cuts : Pacman wrote:You mean we... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5991&title=budget-cuts#5991 Author: Mike_Presta
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 8:32pm

Originally posted by Pacman Pacman wrote:

You mean we have $120 Million to redo all of the roads and none of us know about it? Damn..........
Pacman:

The best way that I can answer this question is by re-posting something that I posted in July of 2007 on The Journal‘s forum:

************************************

READ THIS! Then help me find a way to trust these people!

Posted by: Mike_Presta

Date: July 13, 2007 12:15AM

Fellow citizens, my eyes did NOT deceive me! Here are the very figures that were flashed across the screen for just a few seconds during the last council meeting:

FUND_____RESOURCES_____EXPENDITURES
General:.........$ 31,997,467..................$ 29,118,466
Debt Serv:...........3,056,177........................2,891,728
Fiduciary:............1,359,755...........................483,728
Special Rev:....41,812,251......................40,574,960
Capital:............37,415,282......................30,358,030
Enterprise:......29,047,648......................25,548,688
Internal Serv:....9,501,076.........................7,914,313
Total:..........$ 154,169,656..................$136,889,887

These figures were NOT included in the workbook available to the public on the city’s web site. For some reason, such figures never are, unless they show what council wants us to believe.

Please do NOT take my word for these figures! See them with your own eyes here:
"http://www.middletownusa.com/view_news.asp?a=2528" [2009 NOTE: The above figures show up at about 01:38 of the video.]

Next, please understand that there was absolutely NO discussion by council before they unanimously approved these numbers. Not even ONE council member had even one question, nor indicated any confusion regarding these figures.

Please note that expected resources EXCEED expected expenditures in every category, including the GENERAL FUND!

Can anyone look at these figures and explain to me how I am to believe that we will be operating at a deficit in 2008?

Can anyone look at these figures and explain to me how I am to believe we are in a “budget crisis” when our city’s total 2007 budget is about $115 million (if you believe the 2007 budget resolution unanimously passed by council last December) or about $85 million (if you believe Mr. Lyon’s answer to my question at a “Conversation with Council” this spring) yet we are already seeing expenditures in EXCESS 0f $136 MILLION, with a SURPLUS of nearly $20 million for 2008?

*************************************************

So, when one can ask "what is the City's TOTAL budget" an get two answers, plus a third (using words such as "resources and expenditures" instead of "budget") and get THREE answers with a $50 MILLION spread, I think that it is safe to say that no one KNOWS how much is "tucked away in some of our funds" and seems to be "found" just in time to save council's butt every time they paint themselves into a corner!!!

Bottom line is, our city needs an accounting system that allows simple questions to have ONE, and only one, simple answer that is transparent and obvious.

PS: FYI, no one was able to "help me understand" and the projected 2008 budget deficit NEVER OCCURED!! We acctually had an "unexpected" surplus in 2008!!

]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 20:32:32 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5991&title=budget-cuts#5991 Budget Cuts : Vet "And for cryin'... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5990&title=budget-cuts#5990 Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:44pm

Vet

"And for cryin' out loud- monitor the city government people's time coming and going!!!"

Vet...I reeeallyneeded a good laugh today.

]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:44:57 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5990&title=budget-cuts#5990 Budget Cuts : To Viet Vet - Excellent commentsregardingexcessive... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5989&title=budget-cuts#5989 Author: Perplexed
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:20pm

To Viet Vet -

Excellent comments regarding excessive City staffing and other questionable expenses! Sad to say, the power brokers will vigorously oppose any "true citizen oversight" in protecting the status quo. If not sooner, let November be the beginning of a new era of open, honest and cost-effective municipal government in Middletown!
]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:20:13 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5989&title=budget-cuts#5989 Budget Cuts : OK- let's start with cutting... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5988&title=budget-cuts#5988 Author: VietVet
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 7:02pm

OK- let's start with cutting the admin in each department and assigning remaining admin to support several staffers. All city employees should be having payroll deductions to help pay for the bennies packages offered to them. We have to in private industry. Law department has listed LAW- what is this and why does it cost so much? Under Comm Revit- combine Citizen Services/Comm Center/Comm Admin- reduce employee numbers and increase job duties. Finance- Info Systems- why the high cost of $627,098? Review systems for current need/program efficiency/newer technology.Cut obsolete waste. Econ Dev.- $241,122- do they do this much work to warrant that amount? Fire/Police- pretty much stuck with the cost of Patrol/Fire operation I guess. Investigations- over a million? Really? Justify it. Jail- over a million? Dispatch- over a million? Justify 'em. Public Works- all categories- all high cost- ??
Auto & Gas- a half a million? Justify- this includes what??? Health- $265,000 - for doing what?? Parks- (sorry Armbruster)- $538,557- for doing what at the parks? Just some questions- just some observations for the purpose of getting answers.

And for cryin' out loud- monitor the city government people's time coming and going!!!]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 19:02:38 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5988&title=budget-cuts#5988 Budget Cuts : Not what I implied $$$ instead... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5987&title=budget-cuts#5987 Author: spiderjohn
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 2:28pm

Not what I implied

$$$ instead of $44

]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:28:39 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5987&title=budget-cuts#5987 Budget Cuts : You mean we have $120 Million... http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5986&title=budget-cuts#5986 Author: Pacman
Subject: 1243
Posted: Apr 25 2009 at 2:14pm

You mean we have $120 Million to redo all of the roads and none of us know about it? Damn..........

]]> Sat, 25 Apr 2009 14:14:02 +0000 http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1243&PID=5986&title=budget-cuts#5986