Council passes first reading of budget

Portland’s proposed budget for 2018 is a more than $150,000 lower than its budget for 2017.

Portland City Council approved the first reading of its budget for fiscal year 2018 at its meeting Monday night.

Council also discussed ongoing concerns that American Electric Power has failed to replace a number of streetlights in the city’s downtown and discussed the city’s upcoming fall clean up week.

Portland’s proposed 2018 budget is advertised at $6,929,677, a decrease from 2017’s $7,086,826 budget. If approved on second reading, the advertised levy will be set at $3,432,561, lower than the $3,460,833 levy in 2017.

But the advertised levy is not the actual levy adopted by the city. Instead, the city first approves an advertised budget and submits it the the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. The department reviews the advertised budget and returns an adjusted levy, typically much lower than is advertised.

Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman said Monday night that he expects DLGF will likely return a budget with numbers similar to 2017’s adopted levy.

“As long as the assessed valuation stays close to $213 million (2017 assessed value), the tax rate should be real close to the $1.52 (per $100 of assessed value), which we always strive for,” Geesaman said. “I do not anticipate the assessed valuation to be less … You always advertise high and you never advertise at 100 percent of your assessed valuation, that’s just the way the state DLGF works.”

Council members Janet Powers, Bill Gibson, Judy Aker, Michele Brewster, Kent McClung and Don Gillespie, absent Judy Hedges, approved the budget proposal and will cast a vote on second reading vote at council’s Oct. 2 meeting.

During council comment period, Powers asked why American Electric Power hadn’t replaced the down light poles on Main Street. Geesaman said he spoke with representatives from the utility, but that they said they didn’t have a timetable for replacing the poles or changing lights on Industrial Park drive, because manpower is focused on Florida and Texas. The company owns the majority of the city’s light poles, part of a contract dating to the 1960s that ceded a generator station to the company. Residents can lodge complaints about the lights by calling (800) 311-4634.

Geesaman also highlighted the upcoming fall cleanup week, slated for Oct. 2 through 6, scheduled on the same day as residents’ normal trash pickup day. Those with questions about the cleanup week can contact city hall at (260) 726-9395. During the city’s spring cleanup week, the equivalent of a months worth of garbage was collected in one week.

In other business, council:

•Heard a request from Aker to consider using city TIF funds to install a new roof on the old Sheller Globe building, to protect the street department’s equipment during the winter.

•Discussed uncertainty for those seeking superintendent positions when a new mayor comes into office. Council agreed to research if any other cities have stipulations that would allow a superintendent who was previously a city employee to return to their position if they were removed as superintendent when a new mayor is elected.

•Thanks county officials and specifically Brad Daniels and the employees of the county surveyors office for their work to dredge and reshape the bed of the Salamonie River.