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Williamsport City Council finance committee would like to begin addressing the proposed 2023 proposed budget issues as soon as July, however, the mayor said while he, too, would like to address the proposed budget, it is not possible with a current situation of state and city auditors having not completed their audits.
Liz Miele, council committee chairwoman, said during a recent finance committee discussion topic that she would ideally envision getting a bit of a jump on the proposed budget.
"Make it not something that gets dropped on our laps in November," she said during a recent finance committee meeting.
A response from the mayor was provided to the Sun-Gazette.
"I understand that City Council wants to start early on the budget process," Mayor Derek Slaughter said. "This is a reasonable request. One with which I agree and to which I am sympathetic. However, as I have done all along, I will provide information as soon as I have it," he said.
Slaughter continued: "Unfortunately, a large portion of the budget hinges on information that we are waiting on from the State as well as the city auditors," he said.
"I would love to be able to commit to starting the process in July. The reality is that we need this information first. What I can commit to is keeping you informed and up-to-date, as I have always done and will continue to do," he said.
Miele's rationale was as the committee moves along with the administration during the year, adding the budget discussion as a part of the meetings would give departments and their department heads a bit of notice to look for any projects and programs they may want to put into their individual
departmental budgets.
"It is my intention to start the budget discussion in July," Miele said.
Councilmen Randall J. Allison and Eric Beiter, who were at the meeting, also said they would ideally like to begin budget discussions in the summer as opposed to the late fall.
"It would save time rather than gnashing of teeth in November," Miele said.
City taxpayers did not experience a tax hike in this year's budget.
Miele further has asked the administration for an estimate on city debt, and other financial information beneficial to the committee and the council as a whole.