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Port Richey Manager's First Budget Lauded

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By KLINT LOWRY | The Suncoast News

Published: August 2, 2008

PORT RICHEY -- In a year in which all economic news seems to be bad, cities everywhere have been holding their collective breath in anticipation of the release of budgets for the next fiscal year.

So there was a nearly giddy sigh of relief July 24 when City Manager Richard Reade presented the City Council with his fiscal 2009 budget proposal.

"Our staff has been working extremely hard ensuring we could provide a balanced budget for this year, and we have done that," Reade said to open his presentation.

"We're pleased with the product. We think there are good things that are going to occur this year, and we're excited."

Reade spent about 90 minutes going through the highlights of the budget. It suggests the city's financial outlook is reasonably healthy.

Some of the figures on both sides of the ledger in the $11.6 million budget are estimates, Reade said.

As he and Mayor Richard Rober mentioned more than once during the presentation, however, whenever a figure needed to be estimated, the policy was to err on the side of caution - low on revenue and high on spending.

Near the top of his presentation, Reade announced that one of his priorities had been accomplished: no layoffs of any city workers and no cuts in health, dental or life insurance.

Reade is, however, recommending no cost-of-living wage increase for employees.

There are two exceptions, 5 percent raises for interim Police Chief David Brown and interim Fire Chief Tim Sirois. Reade is recommending both be appointed to their posts permanently.

Brown and Sirois stepped into their interim roles after the May resignation of Public Safety Director Mathias Brewi. Both have done exceptional jobs, Reade said.

Even with the chiefs' pay increases, eliminating the public safety director's position will save the city $73,000, Reade noted.

Also, when Building Inspector Ed Winch retires in September, his position will be replaced with a planner. The Building Department will become the Growth Management/Economic Development Department.

"Generally, our city is built out," Reade said. "And we really need to be focusing on the redevelopment of some areas."

As opposed to a building official, a planner will "help identify where we need to go," the city manager said.

Since stepping into his job, Reade said, he has asked every department to find ways to trim costs without reducing services. For example, the city will switch cell phone carriers once its current contract expires, saving about $900 a month.

In addition, city employees will no longer take city vehicles home, except the police and fire chiefs, and the public works supervisor during hurricane season.

Similarly, Reade asked departments to decide which expenses would pay for themselves or save money in the long run.

A new source of income is the red light enforcement cameras on southbound U.S. 19 at Ridge Road. The city gets $85 from every ticket issued. Based on its first two months in operation, the budget conservatively anticipates $180,000 in revenue for the 2009 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

At Brown's suggestion, the budget includes money to build an impound lot behind City Hall. Not only will the city make money on impound fees, the lot will make it much easier to preserve evidence in criminal cases.

Expenditures that will benefit the bottom line and the city's quality of can be found throughout the '09 budget, Reade said. One of the most prominent is $200,000 for water main replacement.

"They have cost our city significant dollars because of overtime because of old, old infrastructure," Reade said. "Our Utility Department has recommended this to me since Day One."

Meanwhile, the Public Works Department is excited about provisions to repave several of the worst streets in town, as well as sidewalks.

One of the most important expenditures, Reade said, will be $800,000 to replace water meters throughout the city. The new meters, which can be remotely read, will save the city labor and fuel costs and provide greater accuracy in readings, he said.

Residents will also see aesthetic improvements. A pair of state grants provides $83,000 for renovations to Nicks Park and Wilmslow Park similar to the recent makeover at Oelsner Park. A $150,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant will go toward median improvement along U.S. 19.

"There are a lot of great things for the city contained in this document," Councilman Perry Bean said as the presentation was wrapping up. "This is not a bare bones budget by any stretch of the imagination."

Councilmen Phil Abts and Steve O'Neill joined Bean in complimenting Reade, not only for the way the numbers were crunched but for the thoroughness and clarity of the document itself.

In response, Reade credited the city employees who did everything he asked over the weeks it took to put the budget together.

For Reade, who took over as city manager late last December, the city's proposed FY '09' budget was his first for Port Richey.

Rober liked what he saw in the municipal taxing and spending plan.

"The document tells me it's immediately necessary for me to increase my belief in you," Rober told Reade.

"I find more clarity in my mind financially than I did coming in tonight...and I was hoping for that," Rober said, adding, "Your mayor says thank you."

The City Council will formally approve the budget during a pair of public hearings to be held in September. Residents can peruse the proposed budget in its entirety on the city's Web site, www.copr.net>.

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