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May 21, 2020 ASSOCIATED NEWSPAPERS OF MICHIGAN PAGE 3

INKSTER - ROMULUS
INKSTER - ROMULUS

Court budget costs prompt council questions

Members of the Romulus City the debt the court was unable to ” ward and said she recognized the
Council approved the 2020-2021 pay. There is always risk and always uncertainty of costs associated
budget as presented by Mayor “This budget just doesn't add benefit to being the host city. with a new construction and
Leroy Burcroff by a 5-2 vote. up. How can we project $500,000? expansion.
The dissenting votes were cast Does this $77,673 cover the deficit I feel the court is being as “The court will be 60 percent
by councilwomen Virginia spending?” she demanded. “Will honest and straightforward as they can be. larger,: she said.” There will be
Williams and Kathy Abdo who the city have to make cuts to pay new hires, purchases of furniture.
both expressed their dissatisfac- what the court can't pay?” I would rather have a budget in
tion with the portion of the budg- Councilwoman Kathy Abdo along with the townships of Van struction and expansion of the place for the bond payments.
et presented by the 34th District agreed with Williams that the Buren, Huron and Sumpter. court. Next year we can critique this,”
Court. court portion of the budget was Burcroff responded that the “I would remind the council she said.
During discussion of the questionable. court budget as presented is a that we had a financial company Abdo responded to Burcroff's
motion to approve the $19,744,870 “I taught math for 40 years, process Romulus, as the host city appear at a study session. There comment regarding the difficulty
general fund budget at the May 11 and this budget does not add up,” for the court, undertakes each will be a cost for additional peo- of revenue projections by the
electronic meeting,, Williams said she said. She added that she had year. This year, he noted, budget ple at the new court and the state court and said that she was con-
that the court budget showed a asked for more documentation projections were difficult if not court administrator has given cerned with the two years of
deficit of more than $70,000 and from Chief Judge Brian Oakley impossible for nearly every entity direction as to how to proceed deficit spending at the court. She
that she did not agree with and was told “you're not getting due to the pandemic. with managing the court,” he added that she had no problem
approval of that portion of the it.” “There is uncertainty in every- said. with the city portion of the budget
budget motion. “That was his answer. We have thing. All the budgets, for every- “We started this budget and praised the work of the city
Williams said that the lack of a a responsibility to the citizens. thing, will have to be looked at,” process a half a year ago. The staff who worked on the budget
fund balance at the court along This is not a sound budget. What he said. “There is always risk and court has made the best projec- preparation.
with the deficit of $71,000 prompt- happens if the court can't make always benefit to being the host tions they can with the Williams said that her position
ed her concerns. the payments?” she asked, in ref- city. I feel the court is being as unknowns. I don't feel it is appro- had noting to do with “liking”
“Where would the money be erence to bond payments on the honest and straightforward as priate to not approve the court anyone but that “the figures just
coming from?” she asked. She new court building under con- they can be.” budget with my interpretation of don't add up.
said the court was asking for an struction. Burcroff cited the number of what I saw and heard at the budg- “I totally agree with the city
additional $500,000 in the budget Romulus acts as the host city meetings with court officials et sessions,,” Burcroff said. budget but I do not agree with the
and that she had concerns about for the court which serves the regarding the budget and costs Councilwoman Eva Webb sug- court budget,” Williams said just
the ability of the city to assume cities of Belleville and Romulus associated with the current con- gested that the council move for- prior to the roll call vote.

On the job

Officers from the Inkster
Police Department part-
nered with Life for Relief &
Development, Detroit
Rescue Mission and Wayne
County Sheriffs Office May
5 to distribute 120 food
boxes to several of the sen-
ior living complexes in the
City of Inkster. “A very big
thank you to everyone
involved for making sure
our seniors have access to
food,” officers posted on
their Facebook page. “In
times like these we must
come together and we are
proud to serve the citizens
of Inkster.”