Town Council Candidates Question 4: The Budget

Michael Nochimson
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Question 4: Verona has just passed its budget for 2019. If you could shift spending around in
this budget, which aspects would you give more funding to and which lines would you reduce to do so? Please don’t increase the town’s spending–or our taxes.

As Councilman, my top priority has been to ensure a responsible budget that allocates your tax dollars wisely, anticipates future costs, and protects the interests of the Verona taxpayer. Over the last eight years, I’ve made difficult decisions that resulted in savings and curbed spending. These hard decisions are not often popular by those immediately impacted but they are vital to Verona’s future fiscal sustainability. Our largest budgetary items include human capital, equipment, and maintenance. In these areas, I have advocated for and achieved cost saving through shared services and sensible scheduling that have driven down costs. Further I have promoted job accountability and periodic reviews as is the norm in the private sector. We have come along way yet further improvements are in reach but require awareness and advocacy to achieve them.

I voted against the 2019 budget because it failed to address the financial realities of known future infrastructure, transportation, and equipment requirements that are a core responsibility of municipal government. As I shared with you last week, these future expenditures are known and as a mature community it is irresponsible not to budget for them. In this recent budget, I proposed allocating $300,000 of Verona’s $3 million Surplus / Fund Balance and recommended to include these lines items as financial obligations similar to salaries, wages, healthcare and pension costs. Dedicated line items in the budget increases transparency and will improve Verona’s annual and future fiscal fitness.
Estimates of these unfunded future costs and my proposed allocation of the recommended $300,000 of the surplus / fund balance for 2019.

* Firetruck Reserve – $50K per year. (New Fire Truck $800K)
* Ambulance Reserve $30K per year (New Ambulance $350K)
* Roadway crack & sealing Reserve $40K (to protect and extend the $700K annual investment on repaving our township roads)
* Sewer Line Reserve – $100K per year (Begin a maintenance and replacement program to modernize this underground network the cost of which is many millions of dollars)
* Turf Field Replacement Reserve $50K per year (to returf a field is @ $500K with a 15 year life expectancy)
* Downtown Revitalization Reserve – $40k per year ( Allow township the ability to always be improving the down corridor ) ex. purchase of 4 faced clock, Big Belly Solar Garbage & Recycling cans / Decorative / seasonal Lamp post flags, A Town Square centered amphitheater ( small 30 person ) w/ gas lite fire for gathering and relaxing.

As I shared last week, the more prepared we are to address the known and unknown needs of our town, the better positioned we will be to address them in an efficient, cost efficient manner. Planning and responsible budgeting is critical to sustainability. If re-elected, I will continue to make the difficult decisions that ensure the efficient investment of your hard earned tax dollars to supporting and sustain the value of our great town.