City of Ashland Looks at a Projected Shortfall of $329,000 in 2012 Budget

With Next Year's Budget Looming, Deja Vu For City Of Ashland. (Ashland Current, 8/25/2011)

Excerpt: If last year is any guide, Ashland City Councilors will spend the next several weeks struggling to find ways to eliminate a projected $329,000 budget shortfall. Their only consolation is that next year's projected shortfall could have been worse given fears about austerity measures contained in Gov. Scott Walker's state budget.

Councilors received their first look at 2012 budget projections during a retreat Thursday night, while city officials emphasized that the projections are subject to change as more information about next year's expenses becomes available.

Because nearly 50 percent of Ashland's revenue comes from state, some councilors had predicted the 2012 budget could prove disastrous for Ashland. On Thursday night, City Administrator Pete Mann said shared revenues are expected to fall next year by about 7 percent, an average amount compared to declines for other cities. Ashland is likely to lose about $67,000 in shared revenues and $64,000 in transportation aid, according to Mann.

“It wasn't that bad for Ashland, thank God,” he said.

At about this time last year, councilors were in a similar bind having to deal with a projected $300,000 shortfall. Councilors managed to eliminate that shortfall by negotiating contracts with the city's unions that included no pay raises for 2011.

Councilors won't have that luxury this year, as some union contracts call for wage increases in 2012.

Other Wisconsin county and municipal budget news.
Dodgeville city council to hold listening session on 2012 budget.  (8/26/2011)
Shawano budget deficit at $504,800.  (8/25/2011)
City of Ripon facing $110,000 budget deficit for 2012.  (8/25/2011)
Long list of cuts on table for Racine city services.  (8/25/2011)
Dodge County Administrator:  "Governor Walker does not speak for Dodge County".  (8/25/2011)
Longevity bonuses in Portage might become a thing of the past.  (8/24/2011)
Declining property values pose a challenge to Columbus budget development.  (8/24/2011)
Whitewater council looks at 0% tax levy increase.  (8/24/2011)
Janesville residents asked to make tough choices in online budget scorecard.  (8/24/2011)
Village of Darien officials ask for input on 2012 budget.  (8/24/2011)
City of Marshfield has some wiggle room in its 2012 budget development.  (8/24/2011)
Soglin on 2012 Madison budget:  "Every service we rely on is vulnerable".  (8/23/2011)
With a ballooning budget deficit, Marathon County considers a tax increase.  (8/23/2011)
Sheboygan's Strategic Fiscal Planning Committee to determine what city will look like.  (8/19/2011)
Brown County Exec looks at same tax levy, impact on services to be determined.  (8/18/2011)
City of Shawano wrestles with $128,000 deficit.  (8/16/2011)
Possible double whammy for Shawano City-County Library.  (8/15/2011)
Portage County Executive looks to "create a bridge to a new design, a way of functioning on less".. (8/15/2011)
Antigo cuts fire, police positions.  (8/15/2011)
Adding up the budget numbers in the Fox Valley.  (8/14/2011)
Sauk County officials ask for input.  (8/12/2011
Marathon County ranks services to address $500,000 budget shortfall.  (8/12/2011)
City of Beloit faces a challenging budget process.  (8/8/2011)
Fond du Lac city manager sez Governor's tools not enough to offset cuts.  (8/2/2011)
Manitowoc mayor asks department heads for 10% budget cuts.  (8/2/2011)