NE - Glitch Causes Council to Scramble for $750,000

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) : One Thread

[Fair Use: For Educational and Research Purposes Only]

Computer Glitch Causes Council to Scramble for $750,000

BY J. CHRISTOPHER HAIN Lincoln Journal Star

July 11, 2000

A low bid on the city's new F Street Recreation Center project has helped Mayor Don Wesely squeeze a few more high-priority items into his proposed budget.

But a computer glitch left out $750,000 in salaries and benefits for members of the firefighters' union, forcing city officials to dig a little deeper.

And all this news came as Lincoln City Council members began meeting with city departments on the 2000-2001 budget and thinking about their own changes.

Last week, Wesely proposed a 6.3 percent increase in tax-funded budgets without raising property taxes. But, the mayor said, several important items were left out.

The council must vote on any changes and approve a budget Aug. 21.

"We may have to do some massaging," Council Vice Chairman Jeff Fortenberry said. "But this is a good general direction."

The mayor Monday recommended putting a few items back into the budget after bids arrived for the F Street Recreation Center. Builders Inc. of Lincoln won construction of the long-awaited project with a $3.5 million bid about $500,000 below city officials' projections.

That freed $434,715 in surplus keno revenue for the 2000-2001 budget. It's one-time money that must be used for one-time expenses, Wesely said.

"We had held our breath as the bids came in," he said. "This is good news."

Wesely suggested the council use the money for:

%Additional sidewalk improvements: $215,715.

%Updating the Comprehensive Plan: $144,000.

%Antelope Park Playground equipment: $60,000.

%Entryway beautification: $15,000.

The successful contract also means the F Street Rec Center will be getting under way soon. Parks and Recreation Director Lynn Johnson said he hopes the contractor can break ground in early August, with the center opening as early as Jan. 1, 2002.

Council Chairman Jerry Shoecraft said all four items are important to him. He said he would even like to see more money spent on sidewalks.

"I think it's a great plan," he said. "I wish we could do even more."

Fortenberry said he likes what the mayor has proposed for the surplus funds, but the items must be considered against the entire budget.

"It's a matter of prioritization," he said. "We still have to go line by line."

One particular line item jumped out at city officials last week. A computer glitch failed to revise salaries and health benefits for most firefighters and fire inspectors.

Every other department was updated, City Budget Officer Steve Hubka said. But after adjustments to fire union members, the mayor's budget was suddenly short $417,929 in salaries and $339,100 in health care expenses.

"We didn't catch the error until it was too late," Hubka said.

City officials now propose covering the $750,000 mistake with fund balances, he said, which is how those costs would have been covered anyway. The council must approve the change.

Councilwoman Cindy Johnson said it's amazing the city can find money for mistakes but not for other items.

"Every year I'm amazed by the budget," she said.

Said Shoecraft: "I'm not happy about it, but those things happen."

Said Fortenberry: "That's the story of life around here good news, bad news."

In other business Monday, the council:

%Approved the Consolidated Plan for fiscal years 2000-2003 for U.S. Housing and Urban Development Entitlement Programs.

%Denied vacating a portion of E Street from the west right-of-way line of South 27th Street to a line 145 feet west.

Reach J. Christopher Hain at 473-7223 or chain@journalstar.com.

http://www.journalstar.com/local?story_id=744&past=



-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), July 11, 2000


Moderation questions? read the FAQ