Step 2: No new capital projects
Balancing Emporia’s City budget
By Scott Rochat
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Editor’s note: City Manager Matt Zimmerman outlined a three-step plan of budget cuts last week to help balance the City of Emporia’s 2008 general fund. In this four-part series, The Gazette looks at each step and possibilities for generating revenue.
Ed Rathke dearly loves White Auditorium. There’s a lot he’d like to do to improve the 67-year-old building — some new windows, say, or a fresh coat of paint or some updated controls for the heating and cooling system.
But not next year.
The city of Emporia finds itself trying to right a 2008 general fund that is $2.5 million out of balance. Any capital project that isn’t absolutely vital has to wait. So, more than $1.8 million of plans for next year are on hold, from a used half-ton pickup for the auditorium ($4,000) to things like the street replacement program ($300,000) or the more than $400,000 of various improvements to White, including a design architect.
“The things that worry me most are always the mechanics,” said Rathke, the city’s facilities manager. “I can get by with the bare minimum if I have to. ... The building will survive without me. It will survive without immediate improvement. But we have 67-year-old steam pipes. Eventually, they will have to be replaced.”
City Manager Matt Zimmerman’s aware of that. But with a city commission that wants to raise property taxes by no more than four mills, he’s had to cut as much as possible while still preserving core city services.
Step one of his proposal (covered in Friday’s Gazette) was simply not to add any new jobs to the city’s roster, a step expected to save $427,562.
But by far, the largest savings would come from Step 2: add no new capital projects except the most essential.
“It’s not that I’m against any projects or programs,” Zimmerman said. “But if I’m trying to balance the budget, I have to take a look at what’s out there. And that’s with a 4-mill increase. It gets a lot worse if we don’t do that.”
Planning ahead
In the past an imbalance wouldn’t have been a problem. If a large-scale project was needed but the money wasn’t there, the city often would bond for funds.
And as the state cut back on financial aid to cities, the charge card would come out more often as Emporia tried to keep the same services on less revenue.
“The more I see the budget, the more respect and appreciation I have for (former city manager) Steve Commons,” Zimmerman said. “He did what he had to do to make it work. But longterm, that’s not a solution.”
This year the city has put a lot more focus on developing a five-year plan for capital improvements. The idea is familiar to any household budget: prioritize what you need and when you need it, and then start saving to get there.
But the hardest part of any five-year plan is always year one, when you know all the needs and wants, but don’t have a lot saved yet. As the budget took shape, it became clear that without more revenue from somewhere, a lot of year one wasn’t going to happen.
In the end about $261,000 of work was saved, at least in the current draft.
Some items could be purchased without property tax dollars such as $15,000 for computer equipment in the police department to be paid for by drug forfeiture money or $25,000 for fencing at the zoo from the special parks fund paid for by alcohol taxes at clubs.
Others were ones city officials thought couldn’t wait such as a new AS400 server to replace a computer system on its last legs ($15,500), or a pair of squad cars for the police department ($40,000) or a new medium-duty ambulance ($97,500) improving the city’s ability to reliably transfer patients to out-of-town hospitals — not just a nice thing for the city to do, but a moneymaker as well.
But that still leaves a lot behind like storm sewer work on Morningside and Oxford drives ($120,000) or repair work on the golf course parking lot ($85,000), or building a crosswind runway at the airport ($82,200).
Budget cutting hasn’t been pleasant. Still, Commissioner Bobbie Agler said at a recent public budget session that at least the city now knew the score.
“Even though you can’t fund it, you need to know what it is,” Agler said. “We now know. We don’t like it. But it’s better to know it and not ... go on fat, dumb and happy and not know it.”
On the road again
The largest single item cut from capital spending was $300,000 from a street replacement plan. It was meant to be an annual item, a chance to rebuild road surfaces that had become too worn-out for an easy fix.
“It’s just hit-and-miss of stuff that needs to be torn out and replaced,” said city Engineer Keith Beatty. “There are some streets that are beyond mill and overlay.”
A street can usually last about 25 or 50 years before it needs a major overhaul, but a lot of things can shorten its life. A heavy traffic load. A low-lying area where water can pool. Or even a water main that needs a lot of repair, requiring the road to be torn up again and again.
A stretch of 15th Avenue from west of Emporia State University to Washington Street has been milled and overlaid within the last seven years, Beatty said. But it doesn’t look like it because of repeated water main breaks.
Streets that would have been due for work in 2008, if funds were ample, are a stretch of Eighth Avenue near Emporia State Bank, the portion of 10th Avenue connecting Commercial and Mechanic streets and a part of South Exchange Street.
Beatty’s own master list goes a lot longer than that, with street after street to be looked at as money allows.
This time, it won’t allow much.
“We’ll just have to keep putting asphalt mix in and try to make it last as long as possible,” Beatty said.
A winning White
While the road program took the largest single budget cut, White Auditorium has the largest collection of cuts. Don’t misunderstand — Rathke will be the first to say they don’t build them anymore like William Lindsay White Auditorium.
In a way, though, that’s part of the problem.
“We have to special design every fire truck we get,” Rathke said. “The standard ones can’t fit into the openings that were put in in 1939 and 1940.”
That’s where a design architect would have helped to find better ways to use the space. Right now, White houses most city offices, a basketball arena and the Little Theatre meeting space among other things. It’s a prime gathering point for major events, such as state basketball tournaments or Emporia’s 150th birthday party last February.
Rathke would like to make it even more of a gathering point. A pair of remodels that got scratched would have reorganized some city offices and allowed for breakout rooms on the concourse near the arena.
A $34,000 budget item would have added air conditioning to the Little Theatre and $22,000 would have replaced several windows for comfort and energy efficiency. One of the smallest items at $4,200 would have replaced the curtain on the Little Theatre’s stage.
“It’s been there since 1940, it’s falling apart,” Rathke said. “There are so many things I’m using from 1940.”
In a survival budget you have to keep using the old and waiting for the new.
“A lot of it is probably stuff that needs to be done but isn’t critical,” Zimmerman said.
Judging when it is critical is a balancing act, Zimmerman would be the first to admit. No one wants to lose a space that draws so many people to the community and sees their sales tax dollars spent here.
That’s Rathke’s concern, too. The building’s not in danger of falling down, he said. It can wait a little longer if it has to. But if the city wants to keep it a showpiece, he said, it’s going to have to turn some attention there eventually.
“If you’re going to run a 1940s building, you need some money to keep it functioning,” he said.
hottopics (anonymous) says...
If we can raise money and then some to save the train, arent there enough interest to raise the money for the White Auditorium??
August 4, 2007 at 8:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
we dont pay other counties, the ambulance service bills the patient for the trip. We are getting low enough on MICTs now that we cant always take the transfers, so they either change them to BLS or call coffey county. I dont know where the idea came from that we pay somebody to come take people to other facilities.
August 4, 2007 at 10:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
spectator (anonymous) says...
WE pay for transfers? Get real. I saw in one of these idea sessions that "someone" should be enforcing zoning laws, e.g. mowing lawns, as a source for funds. Seems fines for violations are much greater than the traffic tickets the writer mentioned. I ass/u/me the writer would have the police enforce these long-grass laws. Who is going to enforce the traffic laws? This reminds me of a recent Gazette poll..."Do you want to cut taxes or services?" I believe the question should have been worded differently - such as "Do you want your cake and to eat it too ?" And to you Mr Zimmerman. If you only knew what Commons did TO, not FOR, the City, well, your employees know more about about Mr Commons' deeds than the general public.
August 4, 2007 at 10:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
Gosh.....imagine where Lyon Cty would be if there were no zoning laws....live and let live.
Probably wouldn't be as many spiteful people...
And, the idea of fining someone for not mowing, well, think about this:
If the guy who drives around searching for those pathetic violations had something more constructive to do (help with new window in the White Auditorium, for example) then maybe, just maybe, we would be wasting so much money all the time.
Emporia (Lyon Cty) agreed to zone themselves when they saw that it "worked" in big cities (i.e. KC and Wichita). Well, when you have lower wages, lower incomes and higher taxes, etc., you can't make money off of enforcing "zoning" or "beautification" laws....if they don't mow, maybe that's because they can't afford gas...if that's the case, maybe it's because their wages are so low they can only provide necessities, not luxuries--and last time I checked, mowing wasn't a necessity.
Who cares if it "looks bad." It's subjective to EVERYTHING else in that person's life.
M
August 5, 2007 at 12:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Doug (anonymous) says...
Mel, No one drives around looking for violations on tall grass. The neighbors of the people with the tall grass call and complain about it and the Fire Dept. has to take time out to go and inspect it, post it with a mowing order, then reinspect it, then turn it over to the court for a mowing order to be issued if it is not mowed. After all I'm pretty sure they just sit around playing checkers between calls.
August 5, 2007 at 12:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
why don't we just ask the big businesses to pay their fair share? even asking somebody like tyson, menu, dolly madison (IBC), or any of the others like them. i know some of them pay some taxes, but i'm not sure how much if at all. most of what we hear is 'abate taxes for tyson, dolly madison, menu'. they utilize the police, fire, water, utilities, and other things the city and the taxpaying citizens provide.
anybody have any figures on how much tyson paid last year since they seem to be the target lately on how many "free" services the tyson families use? please don't bash me for this, it's jus what i hear. if somebody knows differently please explain.
as for city equipment waiting, i totally agree on non-essential items. ambulances, police cars...anything life saving can't be spared. how about charging a small entrance fee for those going to WAW Auditorium events? If you are right about the number of people who use the venue, maybe a dollar per would cover most of the repair/operating expenses. not to pick on anybody, it's just an idea
August 5, 2007 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
Kstrebuchet,
No there is not a fire every hour, but EMS calls, interfacility transfers, hydrant testing, business inspections, tours, training, station and equipment upkeep, public education,fires, and service calls all take up time. It isnt as laid back as many in this community think it is.
August 5, 2007 at 12:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
emporian (anonymous) says...
Tours are scheduled for groups (schools and preschools mainly), Anybody can set up a tour or drop in and ask someone to show you around we would be more than happy to accomodate you.
Interfacility transfer is taking someone from Newman Regional Health to another facility such as Stormont Vail, Wesley, Kansas Heart Hospital, etc.
August 5, 2007 at 1:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
dhcc66 (anonymous) says...
don't we have a housing standards office in emporia?? maybe having them do the mowing orders would be more of an idea. i agree with the health department thought although i think they are a county office. I'm sure that would dig into a whole other issue.
as for down time, i think that the firemen are paid to be "ready to roll" when there is a fire, accident, medical emergency, or natural disaster. there is going to be down time. i think keeping them busy out and about posting orders for tall grass is nuts. they have to spend 24 hours at the station and i think a few hours here and there to eat dinner, sleep, relax after a particularly stressful call, or just plain waiting for the next call, is going to happen no matter how much gets piled on them.
emporian, i applaud you for doing a very tough job that most others don't want to do or can't do. it's too bad that you aren't paid more. hopefully that will change if the city gets it's affairs in order.
maybe it's time for the city to examine if it needs to be "pretty" or functional. maybe, as unfortunate as the event and the loss of life was, the bridge collapse in minnesota should serve as a reminder of what happens when the government doesn't put the dollars into infrastructure. the city/country starts to fall apart from the inside out....
August 6, 2007 at 1:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
netloafer (anonymous) says...
I've heard that when people go to the city to complain about slum lords they just get a runaround. One will tell them that they handle on indoor things and another will tell them they handle outdoor things, depending on the complaint.
I don't see why one of those departments can't check out some of these things that effect both value and quality of life in the downtown area.
It seems to me if they have enough time to give people the runaround they have the time to send out a mowing order or an order to clean up some of the trash sitting on front porches, lawns, etc.
One of the reasons people don't complain much about these things is because the city does little or nothing about them. It's like Bette Midler said - "Why bother?"
August 6, 2007 at 3:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )