Locals protest budget cuts at public hearing
By JENNIFER WILSON
News editor
Several Hillsboro business people and residents were on hand to protest city budget cuts at Hillsboro's public budget hearing, held Monday afternoon at 4 p.m. in City Hall.
According to the 2003 budget for the City of Hillsboro, although the property tax levy will remain virtually unchanged, that comes at a steep price for some city organizations.
In the budget, 'ad valorem' tax dollars to the Hillsboro Development Commission will be cut from $10,900 to zero. Money given to the historical society/museum entity will be cut from $19,000 to $12,000.
Brad Bartel, a Hillsboro businessman, was first to speak out against the budget cut that eliminates this type of tax support for the HDC.
"It's a move we don't believe is in the best interest of the community," Bartel said. "We'd like to know what the message is."
City Council president Len Coryea said that since many of Hillsboro's businesses are "home-grown," the HDC hasn't been as active lately.
"Are we being anti-growth? I say no," Coryea said.
The HDC has been "pretty stagnant" the past few years, he said.
"Some of you didn't want to pull the plug — we did it for you," Coryea said.
Hillsboro businessman Lyman Adams said that even though the HDC may not always appear active, it can take years to build up contacts.
Having a mayor in real estate has been an advantage for the city, Adams said, but not all economic development should be funneled through city offices.
"You're going to take over all city development," Adams said.
Before the industrial park was formed years ago, it took a group of dedicated businesspeople to get it off the ground — not a city entity, Adams said.
But the tax levy on the industrial park is still very much alive, said City Administrator Steve Garrett.
Some residents present at the hearing also protested the suddenness of the cuts, saying that there was no warning.
"These are 'shock treatments,'" Adams said.
If it's going to reduce funding, the city should do it gradually, over the course of years, so the organization can develop a game plan.
"The message has been sent, and that destroys volunteerism," Adams said.
Businessman Brent Barkman was also concerned that the Hillsboro Management Board wouldn't be able to survive the cuts unscathed. The board is a sort of "umbrella" for the Chamber of Commerce, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, and the HDC, he said.
"I don't think we can keep that office the way it is," Barkman said.
Richard Wall, director of the Hillsboro Historical Society, was also at Monday's hearing to protest a 37 percent cut in museum funding — down to $12,000 from $19,000.
Maintaining the museum complex is essential to keeping tourism dollars flowing into Hillsboro, Wall said.
"We're one of the few organizations that meet the people that come into Hillsboro," Wall said.
Looking at the budget, Wall was concerned that other departments were getting funding increases while some were having their funding slashed.
"If everybody else took a smaller cut, I'd feel better," Wall said.
Wall also pointed out that the museum organization pays utility bills for the Schaeffler House — which is ironic, considering that the city owns the Schaeffler House, Wall said.
Council member Barnie McCarty said that he didn't want to hurt local business owners by cutting the HDC budget.
But money's tight, said Steve Garrett.
"I would tell you this budget is very thin," Garrett said.
The Council made the decision to keep the mill levy steady, and that made the cuts necessary, he said.
"We could have funded a lot more if the council allowed a higher mill levy," Garrett said.
Another factor tightening the city's purse strings is a reduction in state funds, said Mayor Delores Dalke.
State funding to the city is down this year, Dalke said. The city will have to transfer $35,000 from the electric fund to the general fund just to even things out.
"It's just getting harder and harder to put this budget together every year," Dalke said.
Once the hearing was closed, the Council voted unanimously to accept the proposed budget. It will be submitted to the state on Aug. 25.
