Jan 15, 2016 By Patty Yauger pyauger@heraldstandard.Com 5 min read

Fayette County commissioners continue to review 2016 budget figures, but expenditures outpace the revenue despite position cuts and decreased line item amounts for multiple departments.

“There is more than $2.2 million we need to cut,” said Commissioner Angela M. Zimmerlink as the three officials reviewed the budgetary line items of the Planning, Zoning and Community Development office.

Although a $32.7 million budget for the new year was adopted in December, the new administration has the authority to re-open the spending plan and revise the figures.

Zimmerlink, along with Commissioners Vincent Vicites and Dave Lohr began the arduous process last week by agreeing the 92 percent real estate collection rate set in the adopted budget, was not a reasonable amount and indicated it would likely be reduced to a lower level. The move could reduce the estimated revenue closer to $30 million or less, depending upon actual figures.

“The tax assessment office is waiting for several municipal tax collectors to turn in the final quarter taxes,” said Vicites. “We should have a more accurate number by Jan. 20.”

Lohr, who is in his first term in office, said the budget review has been a learning process.

“It is mind-boggling, but we have no choice but to address it. We were elected to do this job and we have to get it done.”

Vicites has prior experience with the county budgetary process, but has not found it to be any less difficult.

“It’s a mess,” he said, pointing to zero amount line items for telephone and postage that should have designated amounts. “We’re looking at each line item and trying to understand what’s in there at this point in time.

“We still have a lot of hard decisions to make on every line item and we will.”

Throughout the week several directors and those that aided in formulating the specific department budgets met with the commissioners and examined each revenue and spending figure.

While most figures were acceptable, some – including a request for a new zoning officer for the planning office was nixed, in addition to increased fuel expenditures.

Other figures, said Zimmerlink, were “inaccurate.”

For example, the salary line item for the prison warden was listed nearly $60,000 less than required, resulting in a $60,000 overall department budget deficit.

“There are some items on the expense side that are either zero or not enough in there to cover a set cost,” said Zimmerlink.

Several directors noted that since the passage of the budget they have been notified of increased costs for printer/copying service, an issue Zimmerlink said was not to occur when a contract was inked last month with Ford Business Machines of Dunbar.

“We were told there would be a decrease in costs,” she said.

Zimmerlink said that since the contract was signed, several departments have had new copiers installed, but the 2016 budget did not reflect the increased department costs.

The commissioners agreed that the anticipated budget revenue is of the most concern.

Lohr said the panel considers the revenue figures for three consecutive years to formulate income from any department charges service fees.

In many instances, he said, the figures were not historically-based, but inflated.

“You are operating on a hope and not in reality,” said Lohr. “We want to stay within the reality.

“If the hope comes through, that’s great. We don’t want to be operating on inflated numbers.”

While reviewing the spending document, commissioners discussed that it did not include any additional subsidy for Goodwill of Southwestern PA.

In an October letter to the county, Michael J. Smith, president and chief executive officer, requested the current $5,000 monthly amount be doubled to defray rising costs.

“Since the county and Goodwill recycling program’s inception in 1997, we have never received an increase in the monthly subsidy, despite increased annual operating costs; the steady decline in the volume of material collected; and fluctuations in the market price for the recyclable materials,” he said.

The total losses for the program for the 2014-2015 fiscal year, totaled $118,559, added Smith.

“Over the past 15 years, we have lost more than $875,000,” he said.

Without a renegotiated contract, Smith said that the program would be returned to the county next month.

The officials met with Smith and Amy Kacmar, executive director of affiliate operations on Friday to discuss how the county can aid the agency.

“We don’t want you to close your doors,” said Vicites. “This is a very important program in the county.”

In addition to scheduling a meeting with municipal and county leaders to reinvigorate the recycling program, commissioners also offered to help with vehicular maintenance and pursue grant funding to alleviate deficits.

As the commissioners continue to review the budget, they have agreed to re-hire Sam Lynch, Susquehanna Financial Associates senior consultant, to review the spending plan he structured for the county.

“We are guessing on some of these numbers because we need the supporting documents,” said Zimmerlink. “We need to know how some of these numbers were derived.”

Vicites said that he is very pleased with the “team” effort being exercised by the panel.

“We have worked very well together,” he said. “But, there is still a lot of work to do.”

Meetings will continue Tuesday in the commission conference room.