The Candidates' View: Wheaton's Budget

After two months of discussion and revision, the Wheaton City Council on Monday put its stamp of approval on the city's nearly $82 million spending plan for 2011-12.

Wheaton Patch asked the candidates for mayor and city council in the April 5 election to offer their take on the budget. Here are their responses:

Mayor Michael Gresk - “The City of Wheaton submits a balanced budget each year. We are required to do so by law.  The greatest challenges we face is the cost of personnel and the contracts associated with those labor agreements. Wheaton is fiscally healthy. I am pleased to report that our Moody’s Bond Rating improved this year from  AA (double “a”) to AAA (triple ‘a’) status.  This is a reflection of  the way we handle our finances. While we may still face many challenges from our revenue sources (Income tax, sales tax and motor fuel tax) due to the declining state and federal  economy, Wheaton is in a good position to meet those challenges.”

Current Councilman/Mayoral Candidate John Prendiville - "I think that the City's budget is a good one.  We are not raising taxes while continuing to provide quality services, and have raised our expenditure on the Library by $200,000 and will contribute $500,000 to our road program from general revenues. During our budget hearings, I did suggest that if city revenues improve during this fiscal year, expenditures should be increased for the library, tree replacement and sidewalks."

Councilman Candidate Bob Molenhouse - "I would have to say, overall, I agree with the proposed budget. The current city council has done a lot of work on it and has been going in the right direction over the last few years. They have looked for ways to keep a balanced budget and made some 'tough' decisions, which included cutting staff. The future city council needs to keep going in the same direction and look for ways to run as efficiently as possible. The city needs to continue to watch where they spend the taxpayer’s money and ensure that the taxpayers are getting the most for their tax dollars."

Councilman Candidate Derek Bromstead - "Overall, the budget has definitely improved over previous years, with revenues over expenditures about $400,000. However, there is still an opportunity to widen that gap. By looking at items like capital purchases, there may be additional room to cut costs. Additionally, enhancing  sales tax revenues by adding businesses and developing other revenue sources, like the wireless monitoring fund, will help significantly. As a business, we have had to manage rising costs of goods and labor, and ultimately do more with less. The city made some hard decisions they had to, now we need to position ourselves for the future."

Councilman Candidate Jeanne Ives - "I am pleased that we have a budget for the next year that did not require a tax increase.  This is a step in the right direction and we need to continue to hold the line in this area.  It is important that we restored most of the funding for the library.  My priority is to look for additional funding for infrastructure projects every year.  Considering that almost 80 percent of the budget is fixed for personnel costs and debt service, this will not be easy. Future spending must be limited to the projects and services which have the most impact on the community."

Councilman Candidate Evelyn Pacino Sanguinetti - "I am satisfied with the budget as proposed.  While 24 percent of the city is not on the tax rolls and 34 employees were laid off, the city secured a AAA bond rating.  The Municipal Band worked hard to survive within these tough times by showing less expenses and an ability to raise funds while other entities failed (i.e., Grand Theatre and Center for History). Moreover, the library, a known income stimulus for the city, was fortunately restored funding.  Looking ahead, the city must avoid speculative ventures and focus on core governmental obligations like sidewalks, infrastructure and fire and police protection."

Councilman Candidate Alberta Adamson - "City staff did an excellent job preparing the 2011-12 budget. I attended all budget workshops and the council asked for a few clarifications rather than having major concerns. Ending 2010-11 with a surplus shows good management in addition to not raising the tax base.  Including funds for a business recruiter and the band fit into my priorities, but not supporting our town’s history is a missing link to enhancing the sense of place – sense of community which is the reason people moved into our community. An economic development plan must be implemented to promote Wheaton and fill empty storefronts/sites to increase sales tax."