The Delphi City Council and Mayor Randy Strasser faced a major challenge when developing the 2009 budget. The challenge, presented to them by the State of Indiana, was to reduce the budget approximately 12 to 15 percent, or by roughly $240,000 by the Sept. 30 adoption deadline. The funding decrease was necessary to accommodate fiscal information provided by the state. In only one work session, which lasted late into the night, they completed the task.

The public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed budget at a public budget hearing Monday at 7 p.m. in the city building on South Union St. prior to the city council meeting. According to clerk treasurer Janice Roe, the public has seven days after the hearing to file objections or a petition of opposition to the proposed budget.

Strasser said Monday not only would there be less general fund money to appropriate in 2009 but the necessary city expenses, such as fuel, utilities and insurance, continue to increase.

"You gotta juggle the sharp knives and the dull ones too," Strasser said. "This is just the first step."

Strasser explained depending on what local option income tax formula the county council adopts, the city would have to reduce the 2010 budget by either another $230,000 or $30,000.

He said the 2009 proposed budget was reduced in part by outsourcing garbage collection and recycling. Strasser said if the budget is approved, the city will develop standards for the service and then receive bids from vendors. He said the city would contract with a vendor, pay the vendor and residents would be assessed a collection fee for the service based on the contract. The measure is expected to save the city in excess of $155,000 per year.

"We've looked at different options, but it's just not economically feasible to keep it in-house anymore," Strasser said.

Garbage collection workers are considered street department workers, according to Strasser. He said due to attrition in the department, no garbage collection employees would lose their jobs.

The mayor explained another area the city would save money is by combining emergency dispatch services with the county. The county's E- 911 currently receives all of the emergency calls. Strasser cautioned that this plan is not solidified with the county.

"We just haven't had the time to figure out all of the details," he said. "I'm cautiously optimistic that we can complete this whole transaction but there are just a lot of pieces that have to fall into place."

Strasser emphasized the consolidation plan would help make services more efficient for city residents.

"This is the direction we have chosen to go," he added.

Carroll County Sheriff Tony Burns said Tuesday he did not know the city was planning to make the move as soon as the beginning of 2009.

"I was surprised to hear the news knowing that the commissioners have only been approached about the feasibility of the project," he said. "I hope it can be done by the end of the year, but it might take longer."

"I'm more than willing to do it as long as we do it correctly," he added. "This has to be done right and I'm not going to rush it. I can see how it would be a big benefit to the Delphi community, but there are many things that must be addressed on the county level."

Burns said questions concerning a memorandum of understanding, hardware issues, contractual and legal issues and handling after-hours calls need to be addressed prior to the county assuming total responsibility for the service. He emphasized that he believed the project would be the best for the community when all of the details are solved.

Strasser and the city council decided to shift the salaries for two full-time employees from dispatch to two separate administrative assistant positions. Strasser explained one will work in the police department and will continue to answer the more than 1,500 non-emergency telephone calls each month that dispatch would receive.

"We have to continue to handle these calls," he said.

The other position will support the remainder of the city hall offices. All city hall calls would be received by that person who would be located in the city building.

Strasser provided a 2009 budget estimate spreadsheet to the Comet, which accompanies this article.

"I have not been shy about the things we are going to be doing," Strasser concluded.

He invited all residents to contact him at his office at (765) 564-3039 or visit him at the Mayor's Night In, the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month from 5 to 7 p.m.

Delphi City Council meets Monday night at 7 p.m. The budget must be passed in three different readings, the first of which is expected at the Monday night meeting. The council may choose to suspend the adoption rules and pass the document in less than three separate meetings by combining readings.