Housing authority to vote on new budget
The Fayette County Housing Authority plans to vote this afternoon on a new operating budget that increases salaries 4 percent for project managers, 2.75 percent for maintenance workers and 3.37 percent for administrative employees. The 2003-04 spending plan estimates $9.2 million in revenue, $9.1 million in expenses and $111,731 in projected net income at the end of the fiscal year in June 2004. Those figures don’t include Section 8 rental reimbursements to private landlords or monies expended for major construction or renovation projects.
The board received an overview of the spending blueprint at a Tuesday morning work session, but the formal adoption vote won’t take place until today’s 5:30 p.m. meeting.
Executive Director Thomas L. Harkless said the pay raises for project managers and maintenance workers are mandated by union contracts. He said the authority determined the pay raise rate for administrative employees, who are covered by state civil service, by using the median of the rates for the two collective bargaining units.
Under the proposal, Harkless’ annual salary will increase from $114,681 to $118,546, a raise of $3,865. The budget does not earmark any money for a deputy executive director, although the board late last year discussed filling that vacancy.
Computer systems analyst William Guldenschuh’s salary will increase from $65,389 to $67,593 if the budget is enacted, a raise of $2,204. Inspector John Santo’s salary will increase from $44,777 to $46,286, an increase of $1,509.
Also under the proposed salary structure:
? The authority’s five department heads will see their salaries rise from $54,007 to $55,827, an increase of $1,820. Those employees are Sonya Over, Lora Beth DiDominic, Andre Walters, David Huston and Dennis Barclay.
??Salaries for the authority’s nine project managers will rise from $38,354 to $39,888, an increase of $1,534.
??The authority’s 17 maintenance mechanics will see their salaries rise from $41,632 to $42,777, an increase of $1,145.
During Tuesday’s work session, all five board members received a briefing from Over and Harkless regarding compilation of the new budget. Select department heads also attended to assist in answering any questions from the board.
“There isn’t too much new. It’s basically the same as last year,” said Over.
In reviewing the authority’s “payment in lieu of taxes,” or PILOT, situation, Over pointed out that the housing projects of Lemon Wood Acres and Lemont Heights require no payments to the school district, county or North Union Township.
That’s because when utility costs are subtracted from the revenues that they generate, the figure is so low that the authority isn’t required to make any payment. Under PILOT, the authority pays 10 percent of the difference when utility costs are subtracted from income generated.
Solicitor John M. “Jack” Purcell said he was still reviewing whether the authority could boost its payment percentage under PILOT, a question posed by board member James V. Bitonti at last month’s regular meeting.
In a Section 8-related matter, DiDominic said that popular program has proven so successful that the authority is currently running at a 103 percent lease rate. She said 947 properties are leased under Section 8, even though the authority only has 920 vouchers to hand out.
DiDominic said the authority can sustain the excess in the short run, as long as it evens out by the end of the current fiscal year, which historic trends show will be the case. “We could lease 50 more (under) Section 8 in a heartbeat,” said DiDominic, who noted that the program’s waiting list hovers around 450.
Barclay said the authority has budgeted $25,000 for playground equipment due to normal wear and tear. He added that if a playground renovation is too extensive, it can trigger federal requirements that push the project cost into the $100,000 range, for mandated installation of such things as a foam base.
Board Chairman Kenneth L. Johnson noted that while the authority remains interested in attracting medical-type facilities to its sites, particularly for senior citizens, many of the social service agencies that specialize in those services are cutting back in the wake of 9/11.
Harkless said the authority is willing to provide free space and utilities to any organization that could bring someone on site two or three days per week to take care of basic medical needs, such as taking blood pressure readings or giving flu shots.
Bitonti also questioned the $75,000 budgeted for collection loss on tenant accounts – an issue that has become board member Angela M. Zimmerlink’s trademark. Harkless said that the figure, which represents uncollected rents and unrecouped maintenance costs, has trended downward from $118,000 three years since ago when the authority began logging true figures in that area.
In the area of extra police patrols, Harkless said that the new commander of the Uniontown state police barracks has indicated that state budget problems will probably prevent the state police from signing a new contract to provide extra coverage in public housing.
Harkless said that’s largely because of issues related to state police overtime costs.
Fielding a question about income in the State Housing Program, Over said that former Executive Director John Marra has reimbursed the authority roughly $25 per calendar quarter during his time in federal prison.
“I think we’ve received $100 or $125,” said Over. Marra owes the authority more than $250,000 in restitution but doesn’t have to start making substantial monthly payments until his release from prison.