Story posted Thursday, June 11, 2009
All Not Happy With Wheeling Twp. Budgeting
By RICHARD MAYER Assistant Managing Editor
Wheeling Township trustees recently adopted their 2009-10 budgets, with one trustee voting against approving the Road Budget.
The Road District, which deals with repairing township roadways, maintenance, snowplowing and more, totals $558,400, a 40% increase from last year, according to Josephine Stellato, director of Finance and Administration for Wheeling Township.
Last year's budget amount totaled $395,850. Stellato attributes the increase to approximately 2.5 miles of road in Mt. Prospect the township is responsible for, located near the Des Plaines River, in need of drainage system repairs.
"We are hoping to get some stimulus money but we have to budget for it in case it comes in," said Stellato. "The increase is also attributed to helping support senior transportation."
Trustee Mike Domrzalski was the lone board member to not vote in favor of adopting that budget.
"I was just really against putting money into more transportation services at this time," said Domrzalski. "We need to do more things internally and do more with less. I have some ideas and we just need to prioritize."
Domrzalski said his goal is to present some of those ideas to other board members within the next few months.
According to Stellato, the township's Town Fund, which is equivalent to day-to-day operating expenses, tentatively remains the same as last year, totaling $2,660,715, a decrease of approximately $1,000 from last year.
"That was the board's direction," said Stellato. "No pay increase and no increase in the budget. We can do that with the general budget but not the General Assistance, because when the economy is bad, the General Assistance increases."
General Assistance, which includes loans and grants, has increased by approximately 27% from last year from $561,655 to $718,100.
"More people are in need due to the economy," commented Stellato. "There are the homeless, jobless, people that need help with paying their utilities, and much more."
Stellato said it's almost impossible to make projections in regards to what the upcoming year will bring, because it's all tied into unemployment.
Some examples of General Assistance consist of food pantries, emergency assistance to care, mobile dental clinic, and adopt-a-family.
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