Wheaton uses savings to plug budget gaps

A dark cloud hanging over Wheaton's finances for the coming year will precipitate the use of the city's rainy day account.

The city council unanimously passed a budget that will spend about $4.1 million more than it will collect.

Spending is down nearly 4 percent from last year's budget. But income is down more than 7 percent. A sales or property tax increase, though explored, did not materialize. Instead, savings will shore up the deficit.

"We're spending less money now than we were last year. How many households can say that?" said Mayor Mike Gresk. "It's a rainy day fund and it's starting to shower. I think it's a judicious use of it."

Even with the shortfall, the budget funds the hiring of three new firefighters and the continuation of the DARE program in local schools.

The DARE program is a parent favorite because it teaches the dangers of substance abuse. Even with the funding, DARE remains in limbo as Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 has not decided what form the program should take.

Likewise, fire department staffing and funding will be an ongoing problem even with the new firefighters. Wheaton firefighters log thousands of dollars of overtime every year. The council said it expects the overtime problem to resurface again in just a few years as retirements occur and firefighters move up the ranks. That proved true the last time the city hired more firefighters to address overtime.

"It's pay me now, pay me later," Gresk said of the situation. "I don't know what the long-term solution is."

It appeared the federal government would help with the city's staffing and funding problems by awarding it a $632,000 grant to hire new firefighters about a week ago.

But the city will forfeit the money. The grant would have helped fund the hiring of six new firefighters for five years. But in city budgeting, only a maximum of four new firefighters could be justified. The city attempted to modify its grant application, but City Manager Don Rose said the funding agency, FEMA, lost the paperwork.

Rose said there's no way the city can afford to hire six new firefighters just to get the grant money. Rose said the grant pays 90 percent of the firefighter salaries the first year of their employment, but only 28 percent of the total costs for the five years. The city is responsible for the remaining 72 percent of the burden, Rose said.