Posted: 4/9/03

City of Wyoming budget canít escape pain of budget cuts

Alice Pickering
Wyoming Area Reporter

Wyoming City Administrator Dennis Coryell reported on various state proposals to make cuts and their effect on the cityís 2003 budget during councilís meeting Monday night.

Republican proposals would remove about $106,000 of local government aid to Wyoming and appear dependent upon approval of a casino at Canterbury Downs, he said.

Democrats are relying heavily on increased taxes on those earning more than $250,000 annually and a dollar a pack increase in cigarette taxes.

Democratic proposals restore more LGA than the Republican proposals, the administrator reported.

Reductions in LGA and lowering levy limits for cities would seriously impact city budgets, he said.

Coryell emphasized the effect of both on Wyoming.

If the legislature reduces local government aid and imposes levy limits on cities as has been proposed, cuts in the city budget will be severe, Coryell said.

Levy limits place a ceiling on what the cities are allowed to levy to get the money needed to provide services.

Various recent print messages imply that because cities are making budget cuts, they had sizable surpluses to begin with, perhaps not even needing local government aid.

The generalizations do not hold true if the examples are of relatively wealthy cities and therefore do not apply to Wyoming, Coryell said.

Because of restrictions on funds, cuts must be made, but often at the expense of severely reducing city services and/or borrowing from capital funds for future planned purchases.

While this can work as a short-term stopgap method, it cannot be maintained indefinitely without serious adverse effect on city services, he said.

Council input

Council members Martin English and Lynn Koalska have been working on the 2003 budget with Coryell.

Koalska is of the opinion that department heads are in the best position to know where in their respective budgets cuts can best be made, rather made to minimize impact of reduced funding.

ìItís their budget,î she said

Both Koalska and English believe the department heads can offer alternatives, shifting funds around, to help with the process.

Work is being completed on the 2003 budget and will begin on the 2004 budget as soon as possible.

Coryell and Koalska plan to be at the state capital on April 9 to lobby with other city officials concerned about the various legislative proposals.

Regarding the final 2003 budget, much depends upon whether the legislative session ends as planned on May 15, or a special session is called, Coryell told council.

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