Naperville budget gap continues to shrink
Naperville officials who once stared at a $11.2 million deficit for next year are now looking at a much smaller dragon to slay.
In recent months, city officials have worked to dwindle the number from $11.2 million to $3.4 million to $1.9 million — and have now brought the number under $1 million.
“The $1.9 million gap is now down to about $900,000,” said Finance Director Karen DeAngelis. “It keeps moving because we keep finding out new things and because we keep challenging and revising the budget.”
DeAngelis said department heads made several significant reductions, like Fire Chief Mark Puknaitis delaying the replacement of a costly ambulance, to lower the gap. She also cited revenues that are coming in from an increase in building permits and increased sales tax revenues.
The reduced gap also is expected to allow the city to go two years without layoffs.
“We have a gap of $900,000. Last year when we closed the budget we had a gap of $700,000 and council gave staff the challenge and we were able to close that without any reductions in force,” DeAngelis said. “Were not in the dire straits we would need to be in to even talk about that.”
The city council has three more scheduled budget workshops, including one focusing on the Capital Improvement Program on Jan. 23, before finalizing the fiscal year 2013 budget in March.