Wheaton looking for ways to fill projected budget gap

Just months after making tough budgetary decisions, Wheaton City Council members have learned they'll need to repeat the process all over again.

In order to avoid a projected $4 million shortfall in this year's budget, council members increased Wheaton's sales tax and trimmed $3 million in expenses, including canceling $1.3 million in capital projects and eliminating the equivalent of 17 full-time positions.

The result was a $75.7 million spending plan with a $34.9 million general fund that pays for salaries and operating expenses during the fiscal year, which started May 1.

But during a Monday night planning session, City Manager Don Rose told city council members that revenues aren't growing enough to support Wheaton's existing level of employees.

The city's total wages and pension costs are expected to increase by about $1.5 million next year, according to preliminary estimates. At the same time, revenues are projected to drop or stay the same.

"There certainly will be a gap," Rose said. "How big it is, I think, is the question of the moment."

The next question will be how city officials plan to close that budget gap.

"Is it going to be through additional revenues?" Rose said. "Is it going to be through further budget reductions?"

He later concluded, "I think there again are going to have to be a combination of revenue enhancements and some expenditure reductions."

Agreeing that the city's finances should be a top priority, council members are expected to start preliminary talks about the 2010-11 budget next month.

The situation doesn't seem to come as a big surprise.

Mayor Mike Gresk months ago had warned that Wheaton would continue to face financial obstacles.

On Monday, Gresk said what residents need to realize is that, if further cuts are made, there will be a "degradation of service that they're not use to."