Sparta departments prepare to crunch numbers

Municipality getting ready for 2006 budget SPARTA - Assume nothing. That’s what township department heads are being told when preparing budget proposals for introduction before the council in January. “It’s not an easy project,” said township manager Henry Underhill. “Every time we do the budget, it’s numbers - a lot of numbers.” Underhill hopes the numbers add up to a smooth process when the series of public informational sessions begin 7:30 pm., Jan. 5, in the municipal building with a presentation by the department heads from public works, health, fleet, utilities and buildings and grounds. “We’re trying to give the public an awareness of what it takes to run the town,” said mayor Alish Hambel. “The public wants to hear more about the process and I think this will be a good process.” Whether or not the public is invited to speak during or after the “working sessions” will be up to the township council, said Underhill. “I’d be happy to open it to the public if we have time,” said Hambel. “This is work for us (council). We’ve got to get to know what the budget is about. If we get to back-and-forth with the public, we may never get finished.” Underhill said it is the first time in his tenure as township manager that budget presentations will be made before the public. “It’s a little bit out of the ordinary,” said Underhill. “Periodically, it’s a good process to make sure that everyone knows what goes into the budget. None of this stuff we do in a vacuum. People just have to come out to the meetings.” Underhill said the township has operated on a surplus budget in the past few years. He said each year’s surplus is determined after Dec. 31, of any given year, and not on a monthly basis. The biggest generator of the township’s surplus is uncollected taxes, he said. Each year, the township will anticipate receiving 95 percent of all tax revenues, but that figure is “a little conservative,” said Underhill. Instead, the township generally receives back 98 percent of all projected taxes. The leftover 3 percent is then transferred into surplus. “It gives us the ability to stay in a position where we’re conservative and not in a shortfall,” he said. Although, according to the township manager, all budget presentations are important, the police department is usually the most complicated because of its size and the number of personnel involved. “There are certain things we have a say over, certain things that we deal with that we are mandated by, and certain things that are voluntary,” said Underhill. “How you determine the voluntary is a little bit more complicated.” The budget hearings resume Tuesday, Jan. 10, with presentations by officials concerning the township clerk, engineering, water and sewer; Thursday, Jan. 12, fire, police, and court; Tuesday, Jan. 17, construction, recreation, finance, and library; and Tuesday, Jan. 24, manager, insurance, computer/data technology, and planning/zoning. All sessions begin at 7:30 p.m.