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Carbondale council to discuss goals for new year

By Blackwell Thomas, The Southern

Monday, January 14, 2008 12:42 AM CST

CARBONDALE — In their first meeting of 2008, members of the Carbondale City Council will be discussing what they hope to achieve with the budget in the coming fiscal year.

A seven-page brief drafted by city staff entitled, “Review of Community Goals for the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget” will frame the council’s discussion.

Items mentioned in the review range from the abstract, such as promoting “a sense of community pride for accomplishments and progress during the year,” to the specific, in fixing crumbling sidewalks and water lines.

The total city budget for fiscal year 2008 was about $42.9 million, an increase of $880,000 over the year before.

Councilman Chris Wissmann, who has warned in the past that increasing costs might mean the city will have to abandon its zero-dollar property tax assessment, said Saturday he was unsure of what to expect as far as what can be accomplished in the FY 2009 budget.

“There are some water line replacements on Pecan Street, where the water mains have broken on a regular basis … sidewalks are ongoing, and bicycle paths,” he said, highlighting a few bricks-and-mortar projects. “It’s going to be interesting, within the financial constraints of the city, how much of that we are going to be able to get done.”

Wissmann said he did expect the city’s overall 2009 budget to be smaller than 2008 because of last year’s road resurfacing program.

The city’s half-percent sales tax hike, which went into effect Jan. 1, is expected to raise about $2.3 million annually. But that money is spoken for, by construction projects on new police and fire stations and a $1 million annual earmark to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which will continue for the next 20 years.

Council members also are set to discuss whether to extend the concept of “present” to include electronic attendance for those members unable to make it to council meetings.

Electronic attendance could include a simple telephone conference call or video uplink.

State law allows for electronic attendance, but leaves the decision in the hands of municipalities.

In order to qualify for an electronic absence a council member must meet the state’s criteria. Illness, employment or official business of the public body and family emergencies all meet the threshold to allow an official to participate electronically.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823