Portage council, mayor grapple with budget issues

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At Tuesday’s Porter County Council meeting, Councilman Mark Oprisko requested a meeting with Mayor Jim Snyder, Clerk-Treasurer Christopher D. Stidham, council president Sue Lynch and department heads to initiated a strategic planning effort.

Snyder said the city faces grave, pressing issues that need immediate attention and that any meeting for planning would have to be deferred.

“We’re finding out the situation has changed in the last two weeks between the first budget meeting and today’s budget meeting. We’re still getting surprised by new situations,” said Snyder, referring to a newly revealed budget shortfall of approximately $1.9 million.

Snyder began laying out the priorities he intends to address, listing three specific issues. First, garbage: “We still pick up garbage like the Flintstones,” he said. Then, health insurance and personnel issues.

To further reinforce the point that the city has serious issues to address, Snyder called on Fire Chief Thomas Fieffer to explain a new federal requirement calling for the acquisition of radio equipment, “narrow banding radio,” and recurring equipment needs, “turnout gear” that is required to send personnel into structure fires.

“We are leading by example to get the budget under control,” said Snyder, citing the elimination of several administrative vehicles. “We need to get our head around the big picture.”