City's budget for streets to remain tight

GREENCASTLE -- A report on the city's finance at Tuesday's meeting of the Greencastle Common Council revealed both negatives and positives.

Mayor Sue Murray and clerk-treasurer Teresa Glenn said the certified budget is back from the Department of Local Government Finance. Two funds came in lower than the requested amount.

Local road and street was requested at $108,100, but came in at a level of $33,725. Cumulative Capital Development (CCD) was cut from $328,000 to $306,043.

Both funds affect sidewalk and street paving, while CCD is also used for equipment purchases.

"Sidewalks and street repaving will be cut back, I'm sure, unless the revenue comes in more than estimated," Glenn said.

On the other hand, the approved CCD amount would cover the amount of work the city did on streets in 2009.

"The CCD should be enough because we did not even spend that much on roads and sidewalks last year. We should be able to do at least what we did last year," Glenn said. "What we're able to do is going to continue to be limited and stretched."

The only trick now is making sure the city actually receives the amount for which it was certified. The certified amount is no indication the tax draws will actually come in that high.

"It all depends on people paying their property taxes," Glenn said. "That's the one thing we can't foresee is whether people pay them or not."

One piece of good news came in the County Adjusted Gross Income Tax (CAGIT). Glenn said CAGIT came in about $300,000 more per year than she had budgeted.

Additionally, the first monthly draw came in at one-twelfth of the yearly amount, which bodes well.

"We get that now monthly, whereas before last year, it had always been biannually. That helps with our cash flow," she said.

The council also approved the second reading of an ordinance to transfer Rokicki Park to Ivy Tech Community College, with the stipulation added the land still be called Rokicki Park.

Putnam County Economic Development director Bill Dory came to council with a letter to Congressman Brad Ellsworth saying the council supports a study of truck traffic around the city. Given the nature of traffic on U.S. 231 around the courthouse and other parts of town, the council approved signing the letter unanimously.

A similar letter will be drafted and sent to Senator Dick Lugar.