Final Budget vote

Notes from the final votes by the Fort Wayne City Council on the 2010 City Budget on October 27, 2009.

Video of the final vote will be posted later.  For notes on the discussion during the Committee Session, click here.

S-09-09-27
An ordinance fixing the salaries of each and every appointed officer, deputy assistant, departmental and institutional head of the Civil City and City Utilities of the City for the year 2010.

This ordinance was passed 9-0.

S-09-09-29 (as amended 4 times)
An ordinance fixing the compensation of elected officials for the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana for the year 2010.

This ordinance was also passed 9-0.

A-09-09-30 (as amended 6 times)
An ordinance appropriating monies for the purpose of Defraying the expenses of the several departments of the City Government of the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana, for the fiscal year beginning, January 1, 2010, and ending December 31, 2010, including all outstanding claims and obligations and fixing a time when the same shall take effect.

The problem was if the budget was defeated, the 2009 budget figures would be put into place which with the additional appropriations approved this year by the City Council, those would have been included which would have increased the overall budget by a little over $1.2 million, if I heard correctly.  It also would have meant no raises for City employees.

In order to keep this from happening, Councilman Tom Didier revived an earlier motion by Councilman Mitch Harper to lower the the wage increase for city employees from the proposed 1.5% by the City to 1.0%.  This motion was approved and amended to the budget during a roll call vote:

Aye – Bender, Didier, Harper, Pape, Shoaff
Naye – Brown, Hines, Smith

Councilwoman Goldner held her vote the first round, then voted no.  It passed, 5-4.

So, the final budget was approved as submitted with the following changes (savings in parenthesis):

1. Wage increase of 1% not including the Fire Union employees.  ($310,158)
2. No raises for elected officials, including City Council and City Clerk. ($6,928)
3. Salaries were cut for two of the Mayor’s Advocate positions.  ($112,023)
4. City Council part time employee cut.  ($9,499)
5. Partial cut of travel from the Traffic Engineer’s Department.  ($2,000)
6. Partial cut of Natural Gas in the Fleet Department budget.  ($20,000)

Total cuts: $460,608.

The final vote:

In favor – Bender, Didier, Harper, Pape, Shoaff
Against – Brown, Hines, Smith and Councilwoman Goldner who held her vote until the end.

Final – 5 to 4, passes.