Monessen Council will not have budget approved by end of 2021
MONESSEN – It appears the new council will have to approve the city budget for 2022.
That’s because a spending plan had not been advertised before today.
A preliminary budget with no tax increase was approved in November, but since it had not been advertised, the public has not had the requisite 20 days to review it.
Council has a meeting scheduled at 6 p.m. Dec. 22 at which the final budget could have been approved had it been advertised upon approval of the preliminary budget.
City clerk Cheryl Gordon said the budget was to be legally advertised today, starting the 20-day period for public review. That would make Jan. 5 the earliest a final budget can be approved, two days after Monessen Council reorganizes.
Councilman Anthony Orzechowski posed the question at Tuesday’s meeting of council as to whether the budget had been advertised as of yet.
“I’m asking that question because if it hasn’t been advertised, the 20-day window hasn’t started ticking yet,” Orzechowski said. “There’s no way you’re going to approve this by the end of the year.”
City Administrator John Harhai said it hadn’t.
Orzechowski said there was no need for a meeting Dec. 22 if a budget could not be approved at that time.
“We can’t pass a budget this year,” he said. “There’s a ton of stuff on there that’s not making any sense. This council will not be able to touch this budget. It will be the next council.”
Mayor Matthew Shorraw said a meeting still would be held.
“There will still be a meeting because there are other items to be discussed,” Shorraw said.
Mayor-Elect Ron Moser also raised some concerns about the budget and the fact that it had not been advertised.
“You use a different millage for different things,” Moser said when speaking during a public comment portion of the meeting. “You use one millage for the library, same millage for the parks, but you use an entirely different millage for real estate property. That can’t be, the budget is inconsistent. There is an inconsistency there that needs to be resolved.”
Solicitor Tim Witt recommended advertising the budget as soon as possible.
“If the city goes into next year and doesn’t have a budget that’s adopted they can’t expend any funds,” Witt said. “Let’s get the budget advertised so that 20-day window begins ticking away so the next administration can pick it up and move it forward and allow the city to at least start spending money on routine bills.”
Witt added after the meeting there is only so much the new council can do if it wishes to alter the budget.
“You can change the budget either 10% per the entire budget or 25% per individual line item,” he said.
After the meeting, Shorraw said he felt the spending plan was ready.
“We’re going to have to advertise it and I guess that starts the clock again,” he said. “It will have to go (to the next council) to do the final approval.”