Page 9 - The Wayne Dispatch

Plante Moran explains budgeting for a city

By Carolyn Marnon bility of creating the budget docu- Life changes, he said, and we have to make.
When you budget for yourself ment is on the top-ranking munici- roll with it. Finance Director Sample went
and/or your family, you keep track of pality person, in Wayne that would Public Act 2 gives detailed in- over a budget document with coun-
what money comes in, what money be City Manager Lisa Nocerini. Ac- structions on what must be included cilmembers while detailing key infor-
goes out, and you generally have a cording to Camiller, Nocerini has del- in the budget. This includes the last mation on how to read a budget
plan for the year. egated the task to Plante Moran and audited financial amounts, the cur- report.
When a municipality budgets, the the City’s Finance Director, Kathryn rent version of the amended budget, City Manager Nocerini stressed
budget is a prediction of what that Sample. and current year to date activity. In that the City still needs to find a vi-
local government is going to do, and The second step involves adopt- essence, you are looking at the last able revenue source. She encourages
it requires approval by the city coun- ing the budget. The general public completed fiscal year and the cur- city councilmembers to continue to
cil to authorize the spending. can provide input on the draft rent fiscal year while looking ahead brainstorm ideas.
This is how Brian Camiller of budget before the City Council votes to the next fiscal year. Ideas generated during the spe-
Plante Moran explained how local to approve it. There must be a reconciliation of cial session included working with
government budgeting compares The third, and final, step is exe- fund balance. “You have to pass a neighboring communities to estab-
with personal budgeting when he cuting and monitoring the budget. budget, by law, that results in posi- lish a fire or police authority, annex-
spoke with the Wayne City Council During the entire fiscal year, execu- tive fund balance come the end of the ing property from an adjoining city
during the January 26 special study tion involves the running of the City. budget year,” Camiller informed the that the neighboring city has a
session budget meeting via Zoom. Employees show up at work; that’s council. “A balanced budget, accord- harder time patrolling, paying off
The responsibility of putting to- an expense. Services are purchased; ing to Public Act 2, is the existing bonds, reorganizing city government,
gether a budget should include all that’s an expense. The City spending fund balance at the beginning of the having 501c3s (like religious institu-
stakeholders of the municipality. has to be monitored for what is hap- year plus revenue is equal to or tions in the city) contribute a stipend
This includes department heads, the pening and modifying the budget as greater than expenses. So it’s okay to for the city services they receive,
finance department, the city council needed. spend fund balance, sometimes. You long-term investments like solar en-
and the general public. The budget is When it looks like something is can’t do it every year.” A balanced ergy, and moving the court to the po-
an authorization for spending. going to go over budget, amend- budget means you are going to end lice department.
There are three steps in the ments must be brought to the coun- the year with a fund balance. It does The City is at the point where
budget process. The first step in- cil for approval. Camiller said these not mean revenues must equal ex- nickel and dime revenue sources
volves preparation. This is where the amendments need to be brought to penses. aren’t sufficient.
department heads do their data gath- council before spending goes over Camiller concluded his presenta- Any citizen can go to the City of
ering and submit their findings so budget, not after. The budget is a tion letting council know that the Wayne’s website and view the latest
that an initial draft of a budget docu- fluid document that ebbs and flows more financial information they amended budget under the Financial
ment can be prepared. The responsi- up until the end of the fiscal year. have, the better decisions they will Dashboard.

Lieutenant graduates from Staff and Command
“Get into a good Bible-based church
LOVE, Continued from page 7
together and stay in church and Lt. Finley Carter addressed his classmates at
What are their plans for the fu- bring your kids up together in Carter of the graduation, encouraging them to
ture? “Every day I tell Paul some- church. Keep each other laughing all Wayne Police tackle some of the tough issues fac-
thing else I want to do. He looks at the time and entertain each other. Department ing policing today. When asked for
me and says ‘You dream big, don’t Just be happy,” said Ginger. She said g r a d u a t e d comment, Chief Strong said, “I am
you?’” Paul was proud of her when she from the 15th very proud of Lt. Carter’s accom-
The Cooks have owned two went to nursing school. “Just be Michigan State plishments, but I am also not sur-
restaurants in the past, so Ginger proud of each other all the time.” U n i v e r s i t y prised. Lt. Carter is an incredible
said she would like to have a little Before ending the interview, Gin- School of Staff leader. He is well respected by me,
restaurant in Wayne in the future. ger remembered a special moment and Com- his peers, his subordinates, and the
They certainly stay busy. Every from their 60th anniversary. “The mand on Jan- community. The Wayne Police De-
year they go to Eastern States Expo- kids wanted to take us out to dinner, uary 15. The partment is lucky to have him as
sition in Massachusetts. They visit but as you know places were closed MSU School of part of our team. I would like to con-
family while they are there. Paul vol- except for carry out. They knew Olive Staff and Com- Lt. Finley Carter gratulate him on the hard work and
unteers at Willow Run Airport and Garden is one of my favorites, so all mand is a leadership he has shown today and
the Yankee Air Museum where he eight of us loaded into our van and prestigious ten-week school for po- throughout his career.”
paints and works on the planes. headed to Olive Garden, called for a lice executives that focuses on lead- Lt. Carter joined the Wayne Police
Their most engaging activity carry out and sure enough, we had ership, problem-based learning, and Department in 2002. Lt. Carter was
might just be their Parking Lot Pic- another one of our ‘parking lot pic- building partnerships with the com- the police department’s first African
nics. Ginger said they have these pic- nics.’ It was fun eight people eating munity to respond to crime. Being American officer. He has served vari-
nics 2-3 times a week. They’ll go to a salad and spaghetti in a van.” accepted into the program and suc- ous roles in the department and is
drive-thru then pull into a parking The grandparents of 13 grand- cessfully completing the rigorous currently in charge of the depart-
spot to eat their food. Voila! A Park- children and 17 great-grandchildren course work is a significant accom- ment’s Investigations Bureau. His ad-
ing Lot Picnic! She did say, however, still have a lot of living to do after 60 plishment on its own. In addition to ditional duties include being the
that she is looking forward to when years together. Who knows what will successfully completing the program, training coordinator, head of the
they can resume dining at the Rams come next for Paul and Ginger. One Lt. Carter was voted by his peers to firearms training program, FOIA co-
Horn, their Monday night date spot. thing’s for sure, they will be laughing be president of the class. To put it ordinator, and Public Information Of-
Their advice to young couples? their way along together. bluntly, this is a huge honor. Lt. ficer.
The Wayne Dispatch · February 2021 · 9