Budget Hearing Draws Sole Speaker

The opened up its recommended budget for fiscal 2012 to public input Wednesday, but only one Marietta resident showed up to question it.

Larry Wills said he attended the 4 p.m. hearing “because the budget is the most important document put out each year, and they don’t like to talk about it.”

Wills asked many questions during the 15-minute limit placed on speakers before city officials at the public hearing.

Sam Lady, the city's finance director, said the law requires the public hearing, and the 15-minute time limit is meant to accommodate those wanting to speak.

“We start the budget process in February, and it’s not thought out lightly,” said Lady, who answered all of Wills’ concerns. “There are a lot of hours that go into it before it gets to the council.”

Lady said the council has already agreed on the 2012 budget, which begins July 1, and it will be on the consent agenda for final approval at the City Council meeting June 8 at 7 p.m.

Wills, who said he is semiretired, said the 125-page budget document takes time to go through. He said 15 minutes wasn’t enough time, and he will submit other questions in writing.

“This is not a good time to hold a public hearing–in the middle of the afternoon on a weekday,” Wills said. “Everyone is working.”

Marietta's budget, which funds the day-to-day operations of the city, includes police and fire services, parks and recreation programs, and streets and public works maintenance.

The city manager's recommended budget is balanced and does not rely on the use of reserve accounts. The budget also has no service reductions, no tax increases and no employee layoffs or furloughs.

The general fund budget is $47.5 million, while the total of all city funds is a little more than $270 million. The city currently maintains an undesignated reserve balance of about $12 million.

City budget officials say the city can expect to close the current fiscal year June 30 with a surplus of about $300,000 because of cuts city departments made in the middle of the year to save money.

The city also reduced the amount of equipment purchased this year and had savings from a three-year hiring freeze that has kept 40 open positions unfilled.