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- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us May 20, 2005 Phoenix mayor wants budget for administrator Councilors agree on the merit of the new position, disagree over affordability By Robert Plain Ashland Daily Tidings The city of Phoenix is looking at adding a city administrator to its small but growing cadre of municipal employees. In the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in July, Mayor Vicki Bear has asked the budget officer to include a line item that would create a salary for a full-time administrator for this fast-growing city of 4,000. Hiring an administrator, in wages and benefits, would cost the city $90,731, according to the proposed budget. Most of Phoenix’s politicians and members of the budget committee seem to agree that the city needs the new post. The question is if the city can afford it. “A city administrator is probably going to have to be put on hold,” Councilor Dean Martin said at Thursday night’s budget committee meeting. “I love the idea of having a city administrator again. I am for providing it if we can fund it. But if it is going to crimp us or hold us back from our city hall plans then I think we should wait.” As well as wanting to add the position of city administrator to the budget, Phoenix also must fund the transition from the current town hall to a new one. The transition is estimated to cost the city between $80,000 and $200,000. Bear feels that having a city administrator will pay for itself because an administrator can find grants and other funding for the city. “This is a position that will go after the money that is out there,” she said. Councilor Terry Helfrich added, “It will make us money.” Helfrich and Bear agreed that the city may want to explore across the board cuts in order to afford a city administrator. “What would cuts across the board look like,” she said. Helfrich asked department heads if they could tighten their individual budgets in order to be able to afford the new position. “If you guys can put some stuff off until next year we can get an administrator in here,” he said to the chiefs of the fire and police departments. Bear suggested that the new city planning director, Jeannell Wyntergreen, would make a good choice for a city administrator. Bear said long-range planning, which is Wyntergreen’s current assignment, and city administration are closely related. She also said that Wyntergreen’s husband is a city administrator in Jacksonville, which could help her understand the nuances of the job. If a city administrator is budgeted, then the budget would account for only $28,000 in reserve funds. Typically, said members of the budget committee, a municipality should have closer to $100,000 reserved for emergencies or to carry over to the next year. “If we eliminate the city administrator,” said Councilor Steve Schulman, “then that shortfall is covered.” Staff writer Robert Plain can be reached at 482-3456 x 3040 or [email protected]. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Futures Broker Bad Credit Loans Auto & Personal Loans Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Sports Betting Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Bonus Casino Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Mystery Shopping Jobs Debt Consolidation Loans Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams