Steubenville deals with nosediving revenue
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STEUBENVILLE -- After discussing weeds, paving unimproved streets and keeping kids busy over the extended summer break, council was conspicuously quiet Tuesday when City Manager Jim Mavromatis reported a more-than-$400,000 reduction in revenue for April.
"Maybe everyone just has a wait-and-see attitude," 5th Ward Councilman Willie Paul said afterward. "That's how I see it. I'm hoping now that businesses are opening back up, revenue will rebound."
Mavromatis told council Tuesday revenues were $407,951.66 below normal, a big chunk of it because federal and state income tax deadlines in April were pushed back 90 days due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
He said it's too soon to say exactly how much of the reduction can be blamed on tax deadlines, "but we had other revenue that didn't come in because of businesses (not being open), it all adds into it."
"That's been my fear for the last two months. Now it's starting," Mavromatis said.
Finance Director Dave Lewis said the revenue drop is very concerning, "because this is a situation the city has not been in before."
"Hopefully, income tax revenue will start to balance out as the city approaches the extended income tax filing deadline of July 15," Lewis said after the meeting. "Residents should be concerned because if lower collections continue, (it) could result in (a) reduction of services."
Mavromatis said it's far too soon to say what the budget ramifications might be.
"For now, we're providing all our services to residents," he said, "but we won't know how we'll deal with all of this for 90 days. We'll have a more complete picture in 90 days. But all cities are going through this."
He said department heads have been especially frugal during the past three months, putting off all non-essential expenditures
"They've been very cautious in what they spent," Mavromatis said "We didn't have a real bad winter, we've cut back on (demolitions), we have positions we didn't fill yet. Eventually we will, but right now we're getting by without them."
Paul, who chairs council's finance committee, said council knew revenues would be impacted by the months-long shutdown.
"We knew it was going to happen," he said. "Eventually we're going to figure out a way (to handle things), as we always do."
In other matters, council added Canterbury Road to its list of unimproved streets to be resurfaced as funds become available. They also requested a complete listing of unimproved streets in the city.
Councilwoman at large Kimberly Hahn said they'll be "putting out a call for volunteers" in a couple of weeks to help spread mulch at city parks.
First Ward Councilwoman Asantewa Anyabwile commended city firefighters for going the extra mile for a family in her ward.
"A grandmother had to be taken to the hospital, her three grandchildren (who were with her) had to be left," she said. "The fire department stayed until the mother came and picked them up -- they did their social distancing and watched the house, made sure the children were safe" until she got there.
Anyabwile also reiterated concern that children need something to do to keep them out of trouble over the summer.
"I sent out an e-mail about children vandalizing (neighborhoods)," she said. "I had a report last night about kids on peoples' porches, causing trouble. I know we are not (their) parents, but I think we need to look at things for children to do this summer. … Maybe we can revisit the pool opening."
Second Ward Councilman Craig Petrella reminded administrators weeds and litter need to be addressed and said he's been out "driving my ward every night, looking at different situations."
"There are once again a lot of people out because of the warm weather and everything," he said, adding a "high visibility" of police on Pleasant Heights and LaBelle could help discourage "people congregating where they shouldn't be congregating."
Third Ward Councilman Eric Timmons said he'd been contacted by residents in the 1st Ward who are concerned about activity in a property on Oakmont that's been abandoned for five year.
"We need to see what we can do about this," he told Anyabwile.