Stow Passes $26.5 Million Budget for 2011

City Council passed a $26.5 million general fund budget Jan. 13 at , despite a failed attempt to amend it and three no votes. 

Before the 4-3 vote, Councilmember Mike Rasor proposed cutting general fund spending by 1.85 percent, or $490,000. Rasor, who has frequently said he has wanted to increase the roads program budget, wanted to put the 1.85 percent into that fund.

The roads program will have about $655,000 this year, under the approved 2011 budget. In 2010, about $600,000 was spent on the road program.

Rasor and councilmen Matt Riehl and Joe Hickin voted for the amendment, but it was voted down 4-3.

"I was hoping [the vote] would be different, but the tenor at [the Jan. 10 finance commmitte] meeting suggested that wouldn't be the case," Rasor said. 

Rasor, Riehl and Hickin voted against the 2011 budget as well. Council President Janet D'Antonio, Vice President Sara Drew and councilmen John Pribonic and Jim Costello voted for it.

Mayor Karen Fritschel said the passed budget will avoid layoffs this year, as in 2010 —one of the goals the mayor said she had for this budget. The city is down about 39 full-time employees, she said.

"Since our workforce has been reduced well below necessary levels in some departments, some reorganization, reassignment and alteration of job duties and employees' responsibilities in some areas has been undertaken," Fritschel said during her . "For example, we are sharing workers between city departments and even between appointing authorities. With our limited budget we cannot restrict our employees only to their original job descriptions and assignments."

Rasor said he hopes next year the city "will be able to put together a responsible budget that considers the future of this city — five to 10 years down the line, not just the here-and-now of employing as many administrators and managers as possible."

This year, the city's total operating budget is about $57.9 million with a general fund budget of $26.5 million. Last year, the total operating budget was $61.2 million with a general fund budget of $26.9 million.