By FRANK LEWIS
PDT Staff Writer
The City of Portsmouth has until the end of 2013 to erase its $1.4 million deficit budget. That was the message city officials received when they met Tuesday with representatives from the State Auditor’s office.
Portsmouth Mayor David Malone had said at Monday night’s City Council meeting that he expected the current deficit to be eliminated within three to five years. That came to light when Malone said the goal of the new financial advisory committee is not to come up with a certain amount of savings in the budget this year, but to come up with savings to cut into the $1.4 million budget over a three- to five-year period.
“We have found some things we can work on,” Malone said. “And we are pretty confident that this deficit will be eliminated in three to five years — probably in three years.”
Tuesday’s meeting left no doubt was is expected by State Auditor David Yost.
“Our plan basically needs to come up with a two-year resolution,” Portsmouth City Auditor Trent Williams said. “We have to be out of it.”
The threat of additional state declarations, such as changing the current Fiscal Caution to Fiscal Watch or even Fiscal Emergency, looms over the city operation since Yost first visited the city about the deficit.
“Really what David Yost said is that he wants to done this year,” Williams said. “But after our conversation today (Tuesday), we all realize that that may not be possible. Even with our best effort that’s going to be a stretch. What I wanted to know was, what is the plan that I and this committee come up with need to say? And it’s basically, ‘within the next two years how are you going to handle this deficit?’”
Williams said that means the city, which had come up with a way to have a $250,000 surplus at the end of the year through cuts made at Saturday’s special budget session — but without tackling the existing $1.4 million deficit — will have to do a lot more work on the current budget to get much closer to 50 percent of the budget deficit this year, leaving 50 percent for 2013. $250,000 would only be about one-third of the way the city has to go within this year.
“I don’t think it necessarily means $700,000 each year, but it was very clear that it doesn’t mean $200,000 this year and $1.2 million next year,” Williams said. “It was very near 50 percent this year.”
Frank Lewis may be reached at 740-353-3101, ext. 232, or at flewis@heartlandpublications.com.
I was lucky enough to see a city patching crew out today, a rare event.
They pulled up in 3 trucks, 2 pick up trucks and a small dump truck.
Total of 7 men to patch 4 holes. 2 shoveled, 5 stood and watched, laughed, talked. They moved in slow motion.
All 3 trucks were left running through out the entire performance (15 minutes) and gas is nearly $4.00 per gallon. Can the taxpayer afford to do this with their personal cars ?
All of this while trash is all over city right-of-ways and doesnt get picked up, city fence lines have grass that is 2 feet tall from not being trimmed all summer or fall, grass along 52 is 3 feet tall and fell over, trash all over the parks and Routes 52 and 23, street signs torn down laying on the ground. Now why couldnt those 5 who were getting paid to talk be out doing these things ? It shows a lack of supervision, from that crew to the service department head, to the mayor.
Secondly, Why isnt there a For Rent or For Sale sign in the Martings Building and the Adelphia Building ? Why arent these two buildings advertised in any state or federal surplus property magazines ? Why are they not marketing them for business ? Is the plan to just let the $2 million dollars paid for the Martings Bldg crumble like they have done to the City Building ? Drive by the Adelphia Building its half way there.
A city income tax is passed, the state auditor has come in and told the city to get the budget balanced and what were they doing at the last meeting ? Talking about pay raises and hiring, no talk of recruiting industry. The 6th Ward Councilmen said we came here to work on balancing a budget, and all thats talked about for 45 minutes is spending and hiring.(Great article Portsmouth Times).
The same income tax is passed and firefighters ask for a 12% pay raise. Did the taxpayers who voted for this even get a 1% pay raise ? NO ! (Plus once the tax levey passed those same firemen mysteriously found some money to re open the hilltop firestation, even before the tax levy money has arrived).
Voters a couple of years ago, said NO new city building. What are they doing now ? Putting together a committee to look into another location for a city building. How many committees and studies have been done on this now ? The taxpayers have said no how many times ? Fix up the building you have let rot and live with it.
But wait, the city just remodeled the Police Station ? So if they find a way to screw the taxpayers some more and get another city bulding, to add to the collection of buildings they current have, then that means this Police Station remodel money has gone down the drain.
They have a study, a committee , a discussion, a meeting about everything in this city, except the thing thats needed most a committee for "JOBS" !
They recruit no industry to this city. Why ? Because these people have no idea how to recruit industry , they cant think outside the box. What kind of experience would some of these council and elected officials have on recruiting industry ? Did they ever think if they had industry and business inside the city limits, then these companies and corporations would be paying taxes, the people they employ would pay taxes, then they would have a cash flow ! This is above their head.
Hey City Council and Mayor, what is your recruitment plan for business and industy in 2012 ? What was it in 2011 ? You have none!
I am glad New Boston has stores to shop at and malls, but Portsmouth should have been in direct competition to get those stores and small mini steel mills inside the city limits, its tax money and income. New Boston knows how to find these businesses and industries, Portsmouth does not.
Last, the poor city taxpayers passed you all an income tax increase by just a few votes, what nerve now to put on the ballot to ask them to give you a new city building now, when they are already paying for new city schools.
Not to mention senior citizens levy, childrens services, Developmentaly Diabled, TB, Solid Waste, plus more in the city limits than in the county for license plates, plus how many more levies ? Where does this City Council think the citizens of Portsmouth can come up with all these requests ? Income tax levy wasnt enough, they want new buildings now, when this levy was already voted down a couple of years ago.
I would love to be able to see the personal finances of those running this city. I would bet most all are in debt, as this is the way they carry it over to the city finances.
A local judge told you to live within your means and you are all out shopping for new city buildings, pay raises and hiring already. You all just dont get it.
Attention City of Portsmouth, You are never going to fix Portsmouth by somehow thinking you just tax people (income taxes) and that’s a replacement for creating jobs. The way you are going to fix Portsmouth is to give companies a reason to come here and grow their businesses and industry here who will in return pay taxes and create new taxpayers (employees)".