Time to make budget cuts in Wheaton

If the city of Wheaton were a high school teenager, it would be getting hand-me-downs instead of a new prom dress in 2008.

City officials took the first step in creating the 2008-09 budget Monday night. All told, the council will be on the hook to find at least $3.2 million in cuts to balance the budget. Otherwise, expenses will outpace income and cut into the city's savings.

The first step of planning the new budget is establishing the tax levy -- the income foundation the budget will work from. Typically, the city budget works from a 5 percent levy increase. That's the maximum the city can levy before it must host a public hearing.

The levy will combine with rising property values to result in a decreased tax rate of about 3 cents, but an overall revenue increase of about $600,000 into city coffers.

That would translate into an additional $35.30 on the city's portion of the annual tax bill for the owner of a home with a fair billing value of $400,000.

Hearing that number, Councilman Phil Suess challenged the city to hold the line on taxes and reduce the levy so the tax increase isn't necessary. Suess said the city must re-examine where it spends money.

"I don't think we've done a very good job of that," Suess said. "I think that's a discussion we should have."

Finance Director Mark Horton assured Suess that expenses are not out of control. In fact, the city is actually looking to add six more staff positions into the budget.

"If we could cut $200,000 of, if you want to call it, frivolous spending in any shape or form, that's not very much in the big picture of a $35 million budget," Horton said. "It's really small potatoes."

Suess challenged the city to present a balanced budget plan with proposed cuts. However, City Manager Don Rose said it won't be a fun task. He hinted that some form of a property tax increase may be on the horizon if the city doesn't want to find itself in the same budget crisis as DuPage County.

"You're going to have to cut programs," Rose said. "You're going to have to cut personnel, and you're going to have to cut in the places where your personnel are, which is public works, police and fire."

The city council will work with city staff on the budget throughout the next four months.