Monessen to hold line on taxes
Eleven months after starting the year in the red, Monessen Council, Monday night, approved a tentative 2017 budget which holds the line on the real estate millage rate.
“We believe we presented to you a very true and accurate budget,” said Councilman Ron Chiaravalle.
“We are up to date on all of our bills. We are behind on none of our bills.”
Chiaravalle said the city started the year $616,000 in debt.
“With the handicap we started the year with, a lot of people would have got up and walked home,” Chiaravalle said.
Chiaravalle said 2017 will turn the city around.
“We’re working with real numbers and we’ve stopped making debt,” Chiaravalle said.
The tentative spending plan is balanced with 37.43 mills, including 23.65 mills for general purposes, 9.2 mills for debt service, 3.62 mills for parks and recreation and 0.96 mill for the library fund.
The budget includes expenditures of $4,073,666 for general fund, $478,433 for debt service, $50,000 for the library and $192,537 for parks and recreation.
In unrelated matters, council voted to authorize Solicitor Gary Matta to take “appropriate legal actions” against the Civic Authority. Councilwoman Patricia Bukowski cast the lone no vote. Council also voted to appoint Mavrakis director of streets with Bukowski and councilman John Nestor voting no.
Meanwhile, council opened two bids for the potential sale of the city building.
N.E.I. Ohio Holdings LLC of Belle Vernon bid $445,000 with 50 percent down and the bulk financed over three years. Best Medical International of Springfield, Va. bid $425,000 with $235,000 down and $190,000 financed over five years.
Matta recommended the bids be tabled so he had a chance to review them.
Mayor Lou Mavrakis said the city had a chance to sell the city building in mid-2015, but council at the time rejected its proposed sale.
“I’ve worked tirelessly,” Mavrakis said. “I’ve been begging people to buy this building.”
Mavrakis said he actively sought the current two bidders.
“With us getting rid of this building, we still stop the (fiscal) bleeding,” Mavrakis said.
The mayor claimed he brought attention to the city when Donald Trump came to Monessen earlier this year.
“I brought a lot of (national) attention to Monessen,” Mavrakis said. “Why do you think these two (bidders) came to Monessen?”