July 25, 2016 - Finance Committee Meeting

MINUTES
FINANCE COMMITTEE
JULY 25, 2016
 
6:00 P.M. – CALLED TO ORDER
 
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Mike Schwab, Mayor                                      Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer                                        
Chuck Hawk, Council Member                      Paul Mackey, Council Member                     
Dale Fox, Council Member                            Tom Hilliard, Council Member
Steve Tharp, Jr., Council Member                  Chris Colucy, Fire Chief
 
AUDIENCE:
Mike Miller
 
This meeting was scheduled by Councilman Mackey to review village finances.  Mayor Schwab turned the discussion over to Clerk King after opening the meeting.  The Fire Equipment Fund and the EMS Fund were the first discussion.  She recommended reducing the amount of 17.5% of ambulance call charge collections that are put in the Ambulance Replacement Fund to be 5% for the time being to allow the EMS Fund more funds for operations.  She also suggested that $15,000 a year of the new money coming in from the Fire Levy be placed in the EMS Fund.  Chief Colucy recommended paying 100% of the dispatching bill be paid from the Fire Equipment Fund.  The other $45,000 from the levy will be used to offset the expenses that will outpace the revenues in 2016.  The Ambulance Replacement Fund revenues will lose about $16,600 from this change.  The ambulance and fire equipment future purchases were reviewed.
 
The next topic involved adding a new health insurance option that could save the village over $1,800 per year.  It would only be for Medicare eligible employees, and it is called the BeneStar Program.  The employee in this case would also see a savings of $681.37.
 
The local income tax ballot issue was then discussed.  The village income tax issue is for a ½ % increase to the current 1 %.  The increase would be split 40% for Police and 60% for Street Improvement.  Mayor Schwab provided an information sheet for the residents that would show how the increase would be used.  Council plans to create a committee to present information to the community.  Council Member Tharp stated that the committee has to be registered with the Board of Elections before moving any further.  He suggested that Clerk King be the treasurer and go register in order to get things started.  No village money can be expended to promote this levy.  Clerk King will have to fill out a financial disclosure for the committee.  Several Council Members and others have stated they will help financially and will go door-to-door to promote this issue.
 
Meeting Adjourned at 7:30pm
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
_________________________
Kris King, Clerk-Treasurer