The Chapmanville City Council meeting I attended Monday, March 28, was to discuss activities for the upcoming fall and winter festivals.
Mayor Jerry Price suggested the calendar stay the same but proposed having the annual Apple Butter Festival Pageant since last year was the first year it had taken place since 2008.Price stated that the same rules as always with the vendors and groups still apply this year for the Apple Butter Festival.
Sherry Workman also spoke about having a winter pageant during the Winter Festivities. They said they would discuss it in further detail when possible dates were set.
They also discussed whether or not they would invite back the same vendors or if they would try to get a public opinion at this years festival and start planning with new vendors next year.
Nothing was voted on or passed at this meeting. All items will be further discussed at the next meeting April 11.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Assignment 5
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
Mayor Kim Wolfe projects a slight increase in city revenue for the 2012 fiscal year.
The proposed increase is a $379,498 from last year making a one percent increase to the budget. In the State of the City Address, Wolfe said there would be no increase in revenue but then the occupational tax proposal went before the State Home Rule Committee in March which was a one percent change from the 2011 budget.
In order to ensure the city has a million dollar reserve, the city is projecting a $440,000 balance increase.
“The action of adhering to a balanced budget and maintaining consistent reserves is critical to the maintenance of the rating,” Wolfe said.
Although there were several big sources of funding the most funding came from B & O Taxes, Municipal Service Fees, property tax, utility service fees and utility taxes among others.
The expenses for the sources seemed to be flat this year, meaning there wasn’t a big change from the proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget for property taxes stayed the same as the proposed budget for 2011, but when the adopted budget came out for 2012, the budget has decreased by $34,778.
The Business & Occupation Tax went up this year by $250,000 is this year’s proposal. The adoption kept the proposed budget making it a 1.5 percent increase from last year.
The proposed budgets for the Utility Tax, City Service Fee and Municipal Service Fees were all adopted. The Utility Tax made a one percent increase from last year. Both the City Service Fee and the Municipal Service Fees made a $50,000 increase also making a one percent increase.
The money in the budget goes to many different businesses in the Huntington area, but the majority of the money goes to the Police Department, Fire Department, insurance programs, streets and grants. Almost 50 percent of the funds are going to the police and fire departments alone.
Wolfe had already proposed a $93,172 decrease from last year but in the adopted budget it was decreased an extra $72,223 making a 1.5% decrease overall.
During the State of the City Address, Mayor Wolfe said despite the hard year financially Huntington had a very successful year. The Police Department had an overall crime reduction for the 3rd year in a row. The Criminal Investigation bureau recovered over $763,000 in stolen property and the department gained over $3.2 million in grant money. The open air drug market that existed on Ninth Ave. and 19th St. has been closed as a result of the Drug Market Intervention program. Since the implementation of the Weed and Seed Program there has been 19 percent increase that feel safe at night.
Wolfe proposed a $90,281 decrease but in the adopted budget the Fire Department was given a $100,281 making a one percent decrease overall. Wolfe said despite the decrease in staff, the fire department had a 13 percent increase in the number of calls responded to for the year.
Money for streets and grants also made a slight decrease. In the 2011 proposed budget streets were given $1,582,240 but this year they only proposed and granted $1,571,954. Grants took a little more of a steep decrease going from $2,617,518 to a total of $200,000. Money for streets goes toward concrete, asphalt, salt, fuel and other supplies to help repair roads. The funds also include paying staff, and necessities such as telephone, utilities, training and others to help keep the offices open. The money for grants helps fund almost all state grants in West Virginia.
Despite the decreases in the top expenditures, insurance programs made a one percent increase going from $7,928,244 in 2011 to 8,045,474 for this fiscal year. Wolfe had originally proposed $8,073,989 but it was adopted for $28,515 less. Money for Insurance Programs includes toward medical claims, prescription claims, unemployment, workers comp and others.
The budget also involves eight layoffs in the city overall. Wolfe said there would be a number of different cuts across all departments but the personnel cuts will affect Finance, Mayor’s Office, Public Works, civilian staff at the Police Department and continued vacancies in the Fire Department. Workforce salaries were reduced by 10 percent since July 2010, a police and fire pension reform occurred in 2009 holidays have been reduced by three in the past three years and health insurance changed for city employees in July 2008.
“And yet with all that we have done and all the cuts that we have made, it has not been enough for us to weather this economic storm, Wolfe said. “We must cut more and ask for even more from our employees and our citizens.”
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Sidebar
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
During the Huntington City budget meeting, March 10, the Fire Department’s budget seemed to be the topic of interest.
The meeting was the last of four sessions to prepare the city's 2011-2012 budget.
Fire Chief, Craig Moore said he found $90,000 that could be pulled from the fire department budget. The city council members voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget.
The vote came after a motion to move $150,000 but was defeated in a 6-3 vote. Deliberation and discussion about the fire department's budget lasted almost an hour.
Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
Moore suggested the fire department use employees already who were already working to fill in for employees that call off where as right now they call in employees whom were off that day.
Council member, Scott Caserta disagreed with Moore. “When you start pulling your safety officers and your fire marshals to cover overtime, then you take that safety officer and fire marshal out of service," Caserta said. "So you're putting your residents at risk and you're also putting your firemen and the service you provide at risk."
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
Now that the budget has been adopted, the fire department budget has decreased by one percent since 2009. In 2009 the fire department had a $10,396,405 budget, in 2010 it had an actual budget of $5,552,315 and the estimated budget for 2011 until June 30 is $10,372,117.
Money in the budget helps pay for salaries, workers comp, pension funds, insurance, office materials, and materials for the workers to protect and help supply workers when on the job.
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
*-Other includes fire fees, alarm fees, court costs, franchise fees, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
*-Other includes mayor, city clerk, finance, engineering, planning, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
2012 Adopted Huntington City Budget
Revenue Sources Percentage
B & O Tax 38.75%
Other 19.70%
Municipal Service Fee 14%
City Service Fee 11%
Property Tax 10.90%
Utility Tax 5.40%
Adopted 2012 Huntington City Budget
Expendetures Percentage
Police 25.9
Fire 24.4
Other 21.5
Insuarance Programs 19.1
Grants 4.7
Streets 3.7
Fire and Police Depeartment Expenditures 2009-2012
2009 actual 2010 actual 2011 est. thru 6/30/11 2012 proposed difference from 2011-2012 percent difference
Fire 10,396,405 5,552,315 10,372,117 10,272,836 99,281 decrease 0.95% decrease
Police 10,839,725 5,924,378 11,070,353 10,977,181 93,172 decrease 0.84% decrease
Changes in the 2012 Huntington City Budget
Proposed Adopted
Police 10,977,181 10,904,958
Fire 10,362,836 10,272,836
Insurance Programs 8,073,989 8,045,474
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
Mayor Kim Wolfe projects a slight increase in city revenue for the 2012 fiscal year.
The proposed increase is a $379,498 from last year making a one percent increase to the budget. In the State of the City Address, Wolfe said there would be no increase in revenue but then the occupational tax proposal went before the State Home Rule Committee in March which was a one percent change from the 2011 budget.
In order to ensure the city has a million dollar reserve, the city is projecting a $440,000 balance increase.
“The action of adhering to a balanced budget and maintaining consistent reserves is critical to the maintenance of the rating,” Wolfe said.
Although there were several big sources of funding the most funding came from B & O Taxes, Municipal Service Fees, property tax, utility service fees and utility taxes among others.
The expenses for the sources seemed to be flat this year, meaning there wasn’t a big change from the proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget for property taxes stayed the same as the proposed budget for 2011, but when the adopted budget came out for 2012, the budget has decreased by $34,778.
The Business & Occupation Tax went up this year by $250,000 is this year’s proposal. The adoption kept the proposed budget making it a 1.5 percent increase from last year.
The proposed budgets for the Utility Tax, City Service Fee and Municipal Service Fees were all adopted. The Utility Tax made a one percent increase from last year. Both the City Service Fee and the Municipal Service Fees made a $50,000 increase also making a one percent increase.
The money in the budget goes to many different businesses in the Huntington area, but the majority of the money goes to the Police Department, Fire Department, insurance programs, streets and grants. Almost 50 percent of the funds are going to the police and fire departments alone.
Wolfe had already proposed a $93,172 decrease from last year but in the adopted budget it was decreased an extra $72,223 making a 1.5% decrease overall.
During the State of the City Address, Mayor Wolfe said despite the hard year financially Huntington had a very successful year. The Police Department had an overall crime reduction for the 3rd year in a row. The Criminal Investigation bureau recovered over $763,000 in stolen property and the department gained over $3.2 million in grant money. The open air drug market that existed on Ninth Ave. and 19th St. has been closed as a result of the Drug Market Intervention program. Since the implementation of the Weed and Seed Program there has been 19 percent increase that feel safe at night.
Wolfe proposed a $90,281 decrease but in the adopted budget the Fire Department was given a $100,281 making a one percent decrease overall. Wolfe said despite the decrease in staff, the fire department had a 13 percent increase in the number of calls responded to for the year.
Money for streets and grants also made a slight decrease. In the 2011 proposed budget streets were given $1,582,240 but this year they only proposed and granted $1,571,954. Grants took a little more of a steep decrease going from $2,617,518 to a total of $200,000. Money for streets goes toward concrete, asphalt, salt, fuel and other supplies to help repair roads. The funds also include paying staff, and necessities such as telephone, utilities, training and others to help keep the offices open. The money for grants helps fund almost all state grants in West Virginia.
Despite the decreases in the top expenditures, insurance programs made a one percent increase going from $7,928,244 in 2011 to 8,045,474 for this fiscal year. Wolfe had originally proposed $8,073,989 but it was adopted for $28,515 less. Money for Insurance Programs includes toward medical claims, prescription claims, unemployment, workers comp and others.
The budget also involves eight layoffs in the city overall. Wolfe said there would be a number of different cuts across all departments but the personnel cuts will affect Finance, Mayor’s Office, Public Works, civilian staff at the Police Department and continued vacancies in the Fire Department. Workforce salaries were reduced by 10 percent since July 2010, a police and fire pension reform occurred in 2009 holidays have been reduced by three in the past three years and health insurance changed for city employees in July 2008.
“And yet with all that we have done and all the cuts that we have made, it has not been enough for us to weather this economic storm, Wolfe said. “We must cut more and ask for even more from our employees and our citizens.”
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Sidebar
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
During the Huntington City budget meeting, March 10, the Fire Department’s budget seemed to be the topic of interest.
The meeting was the last of four sessions to prepare the city's 2011-2012 budget.
Fire Chief, Craig Moore said he found $90,000 that could be pulled from the fire department budget. The city council members voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget.
The vote came after a motion to move $150,000 but was defeated in a 6-3 vote. Deliberation and discussion about the fire department's budget lasted almost an hour.
Moore said the fire department's retiree payouts were budgeted for $250,000, but once they looked again it only came out to be $190,000. The other $30,000 in savings were due to vacant positions. This year there will be three vacant positions.
The Department has $22,000 is overtime, one-seventh of the budget is dedicated to maintenance in staffing for unscheduled overtime.
Moore suggested the fire department use employees already who were already working to fill in for employees that call off where as right now they call in employees whom were off that day.
Council member, Scott Caserta disagreed with Moore. “When you start pulling your safety officers and your fire marshals to cover overtime, then you take that safety officer and fire marshal out of service," Caserta said. "So you're putting your residents at risk and you're also putting your firemen and the service you provide at risk."
After almost an hour of debate the council voted unanimously to remove the $90,000 from the budget and put it in the street paving budget.
Now that the budget has been adopted, the fire department budget has decreased by one percent since 2009. In 2009 the fire department had a $10,396,405 budget, in 2010 it had an actual budget of $5,552,315 and the estimated budget for 2011 until June 30 is $10,372,117.
Money in the budget helps pay for salaries, workers comp, pension funds, insurance, office materials, and materials for the workers to protect and help supply workers when on the job.
033011-LAH-Assignment 5
Laura Hatfield
03-30-2011
*-Other includes fire fees, alarm fees, court costs, franchise fees, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
*-Other includes mayor, city clerk, finance, engineering, planning, etc.
Source: City of Huntington proposed budget
2012 Adopted Huntington City Budget
Revenue Sources Percentage
B & O Tax 38.75%
Other 19.70%
Municipal Service Fee 14%
City Service Fee 11%
Property Tax 10.90%
Utility Tax 5.40%
Adopted 2012 Huntington City Budget
Expendetures Percentage
Police 25.9
Fire 24.4
Other 21.5
Insuarance Programs 19.1
Grants 4.7
Streets 3.7
Fire and Police Depeartment Expenditures 2009-2012
2009 actual 2010 actual 2011 est. thru 6/30/11 2012 proposed difference from 2011-2012 percent difference
Fire 10,396,405 5,552,315 10,372,117 10,272,836 99,281 decrease 0.95% decrease
Police 10,839,725 5,924,378 11,070,353 10,977,181 93,172 decrease 0.84% decrease
Changes in the 2012 Huntington City Budget
Proposed Adopted
Police 10,977,181 10,904,958
Fire 10,362,836 10,272,836
Insurance Programs 8,073,989 8,045,474
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Huntington City Budget Proposal
TO: Burnis Morris
FROM: Laura Hatfield
RE: 2012 Huntington City budget
03/17/11
Subject: Proposed 2011-2012 Huntington City Budget
Scope: I will research the city budget to find where the City of Huntington’s money goes and what the major sources of the funding are. I will report on the entire budget as a whole and the Huntington Sheriff’s Department in terms of the budget.
Need: The people of the city need to be aware as to where their money is going. The people have a right to be informed of the business aspects of the city.
Methods: This story can be documented by retrieving the 2012 city budget. I will also conduct interviews with the people involved with the budget and look for past articles about the past 3 budgets for comparisons.
Sources: I will search the 2012 city budget for all of the exact numbers in the budget to calculate increases and decreases. I will also conduct interviews with the Mayor of Huntington regarding the budget and the Sheriff regarding the money proposed for the Sheriff’s Department in the budget.
Presentation: I will do a main article on the overall proposed budget. I will use charts and graphs to show where the money is coming from and what departments it goes to. I will also write a side bar article about the Sheriff’s Department to determine how much money is proposed for the Sheriff’s Department and why.
Follow-up: Once the budget is finalized, I will write a story about the adoption of the budget and any changes made to it.
FROM: Laura Hatfield
RE: 2012 Huntington City budget
03/17/11
Subject: Proposed 2011-2012 Huntington City Budget
Scope: I will research the city budget to find where the City of Huntington’s money goes and what the major sources of the funding are. I will report on the entire budget as a whole and the Huntington Sheriff’s Department in terms of the budget.
Need: The people of the city need to be aware as to where their money is going. The people have a right to be informed of the business aspects of the city.
Methods: This story can be documented by retrieving the 2012 city budget. I will also conduct interviews with the people involved with the budget and look for past articles about the past 3 budgets for comparisons.
Sources: I will search the 2012 city budget for all of the exact numbers in the budget to calculate increases and decreases. I will also conduct interviews with the Mayor of Huntington regarding the budget and the Sheriff regarding the money proposed for the Sheriff’s Department in the budget.
Presentation: I will do a main article on the overall proposed budget. I will use charts and graphs to show where the money is coming from and what departments it goes to. I will also write a side bar article about the Sheriff’s Department to determine how much money is proposed for the Sheriff’s Department and why.
Follow-up: Once the budget is finalized, I will write a story about the adoption of the budget and any changes made to it.
Assignment 10
031711-LAH-Assignment 10
Laura Hatfield
Assignment 10
03/17/11
When comparing the online minutes for the Cabell County Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, March 15 to an article in The Herald-Dispatch, Wednesday, March 16, I noticed the reporter came up with some very good points about the meeting’s cosmetic concerns.
The minutes seemed to match the story perfectly for what I could see, but the story was solely about one aspect of the meeting. The Herald Dispatch only let me read a brief part of the story but I really liked how the reporter related all of the issues to a cosmetic standpoint. When talking about the renaming of the boardroom, the reporter made a good point by saying the board members were then questioning if there were board members in the past that made large contributions that we do not hear of. By the reporter bringing up this one scenario a few questions have come to mind.
• How many board member presidents before Ted Barr had committed a lot of time to the Board of Education?
• Why did they choose to name the room after Barr? Was it just because he died in office?
• How does the board recognize outstanding board members, past and present?
• Barr was not the first Board of Education president, why weren’t the former presidents honored in some way? If the president’s were honored, how were they honored?
Laura Hatfield
Assignment 10
03/17/11
When comparing the online minutes for the Cabell County Board of Education meeting, Tuesday, March 15 to an article in The Herald-Dispatch, Wednesday, March 16, I noticed the reporter came up with some very good points about the meeting’s cosmetic concerns.
The minutes seemed to match the story perfectly for what I could see, but the story was solely about one aspect of the meeting. The Herald Dispatch only let me read a brief part of the story but I really liked how the reporter related all of the issues to a cosmetic standpoint. When talking about the renaming of the boardroom, the reporter made a good point by saying the board members were then questioning if there were board members in the past that made large contributions that we do not hear of. By the reporter bringing up this one scenario a few questions have come to mind.
• How many board member presidents before Ted Barr had committed a lot of time to the Board of Education?
• Why did they choose to name the room after Barr? Was it just because he died in office?
• How does the board recognize outstanding board members, past and present?
• Barr was not the first Board of Education president, why weren’t the former presidents honored in some way? If the president’s were honored, how were they honored?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Preview Faculty Senate Meeting
I will be attending the Faculty Senate meeting Thursday, March 17, 2011. I am interested to see what things marshall university has in store this year. I am also interested to see what things may be discussed during this meeting.
Cabell County Board of Education
031511-LAH-BOE
During the Cabell County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, the board discussed many cosmetical changes throughout the county.
Theresa Grant, daughter of former board member, Ted Barr, discussed the renaming of the board room after her father. Barr was the only president of the board to die while in office at the adjournment of a meeting. The Grant family will donate the signs for the room as well as items to go inside it.
Jerry Lake, Principal of Barbousville Middle School, suggested naming the football stadium James Allen and Tim Roberts Stadium instead of Allen Roberts Stadium.
The board suggested replacing the swings and adding new turf to the playground at Altizer Elementary School. Due to the flooding the turf has gone bad and the board decided with all of the Jamie Oliver campaigns last year it would be good to replace those items so the children can get fresh air and exercise. The motion to replace those items was passed.
Aside from those cosmetical changes, the Office of Education Performance Audits are looking into Central City Middle School and Huntington Middle School to see if things have improved with their test scores.
During the Cabell County Board of Education meeting Tuesday, the board discussed many cosmetical changes throughout the county.
Theresa Grant, daughter of former board member, Ted Barr, discussed the renaming of the board room after her father. Barr was the only president of the board to die while in office at the adjournment of a meeting. The Grant family will donate the signs for the room as well as items to go inside it.
Jerry Lake, Principal of Barbousville Middle School, suggested naming the football stadium James Allen and Tim Roberts Stadium instead of Allen Roberts Stadium.
The board suggested replacing the swings and adding new turf to the playground at Altizer Elementary School. Due to the flooding the turf has gone bad and the board decided with all of the Jamie Oliver campaigns last year it would be good to replace those items so the children can get fresh air and exercise. The motion to replace those items was passed.
Aside from those cosmetical changes, the Office of Education Performance Audits are looking into Central City Middle School and Huntington Middle School to see if things have improved with their test scores.
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