No budget yet in Charleroi

By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com

With less than a month to present a preliminary budget for approval, Charleroi Borough Council is still crunching numbers.
Councilwoman Jeannine Motycki, who is head of the finance committee, presented rough numbers to council last month, but a preliminary budget was not approved.
Though it was on the agenda for discussion again Wednesday, Motycki did not have much to say.
“I am not even prepared for that,” Motycki said. “But, I would like to say something.”
Motycki provided council a preliminary rough draft of the budget last month — which projected a $500,000 deficit — and asked for input and suggestions on how to cut costs.
When it was brought up Wednesday, Motycki said she had only heard from two of her colleagues.
“I have asked and no one, almost no one has responded,” she said. “And, from my understanding, members of this council are doing their own budgeting, which is crazy to me.”
Motycki said Councilwoman Heidi Cramer and Secretary Roberta Doerfler have worked on the budget with her for months.
After unofficially presenting it last month, Motycki said she has only heard feedback from Council President Mark Alterici and Vice President Jerry Jericho — and accused other council members of creating their own spreadsheets.
Motycki did not specify which council member has been working on their own budget numbers.
“If no one is going to do anything, or help us get to where we need to be, I am not sure what to do,” she said.
While a preliminary budget has not been presented, Motycki said the pandemic is partly to blame for the deficit.
“Businesses are not running like they did,” she said. “It’s not that we don’t have the money we need to pay our bills, but planning a budget, I am afraid our businesses will not have the revenue that they have had before. We have to consider that. To just guess, even though that is what a preliminary budget is, is difficult.”
With a deficit looming, Motycki said she is frustrated.
“It has been three weeks and aside from Mark (Alterici) or Jerry (Jericho), there has been neither hide nor hair said to me,” Motycki said. “But, everyone will complain or accuse me and say what is wrong, but only two people aside from those who have agonized over this have offered any suggestions.”

(See video from the meeting on our website at www.monvalleyindependent.com)

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