To Run Nov. 28, 1992: 
Viola Stadts 
Nov. 23, 1992 
Miss Viola A. Stadts, Of Harris Road, Camillas, N.y., Died At Community 
Hospital, Syracuse.

Avoca 
Airport Reported In Black 
Assistant Airport Director Wy Mcgowell Said The Wilkes-barre/scranton 
International Airport Is In The Black With Revenues Of $93,563.77.

Sunday, November 29, 1992 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1A/16A-HAZ QUICK WORDS: HAZLETON 





1993 BUDGET &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tough cuts, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; tough taxes are at issue in Hazleton &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Mayor Quigley will have to answer to councilmen over proposed cuts in
police and fire, plus a tax hike &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 By JIM KERSTETTER &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader Hazleton Bureau &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 HAZLETON -- The two opposition members of Hazleton City Council are laying
the foundation for a budget fracas with Mayor John Quigley and the council's
voting majority. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Councilmen Bob Stevens and Ray Galbiati said Friday they will start asking
hard questions about the proposed 1993 city budget at the council's work
session Monday night. The two councilmen said they don't expect any easy
answers or solutions to problems they perceive in the budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Both men plan to vote for the $8,019,864 proposed budget on its first
reading Thursday night, but said that's only a formality before the real
scrutinizing of the spending plan begins. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some changes would have to be made before they would give their final nod
to the proposed budget in a second reading in December, they said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Top on their list of concerns is cutbacks in the fire and public works
departments. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One patrolman position in the police department will not be filled in 1993,
reducing the force to 23 officers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Two fire truck drivers will be furloughed, reducing their number to 18. And
one retirement in the Public Works Department will not be filled in 1993,
reducing the department to 16. Two per diem positions have already been cut. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I think we can take 1 percent from each line item -- that would equate to
$80,000 and equate to two policeman," Galbiati said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens said he knows there's not a lot of fat in the proposed budget, but
some money could be prioritized and there is still room for some cuts. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "There's $35,000 in there for a computer consultant I think could go,"
Stevens said. "If I had to weigh the difference between police and fire and
spending for computers, I lean to police and fire," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We have to be very careful and scrutinize very carefully what our
priorities are." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Under the proposed budget, taxes used to pay for the city's debt service
will increase 5.4 mills to 7.4 mills in 1993. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A mill is $1 tax on each $1,000 of assessed property value. A homeowner
with property assessed at $3,000 -- Luzerne County's average -- would have to
pay $16.20 more in taxes next year for the debt service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens and Galbiati said they are not thrilled with the property tax hike
but there may not be much wiggling room for the city to pay its debts.
Galbiati warned "the sky's the limit" in future years in taxes for debt
service. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens is also worried about a $175,000 expected fund balance from 1992
which may or may not be available for the city's 1993 budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Quigley sent a memorandum to the council Wednesday informing them that
roughly $87,000 of that expected surplus will come from leftovers of the 1992
garbage fee, which was $120 and is expected to drop to $100 this year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Quigley said he realized the garbage money was part of the surplus this
week while his staff was reviewing the budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Stevens said he doesn't like the idea of transferring garbage fees into the
city's general fund, but isn't sure how to address the problem. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "The fact is that's a big chunk of money to lose, that had been factored in
there," Stevens said, &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "To be honest, I really don't know how we'll address that. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Now we have to find a way out of it in the least painful way to the
community," Stevens said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Quigley said Friday he and his staff will review the situation Monday
before the work session and iron out a remedy. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "If there are any changes, we'll have to decide," he said. "This is nothing
to get upset about yet." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Budget changes won't come easy, Stevens said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The council has to vote 3-2 to decrease spending on a line item and must
vote 4-1 to increase spending on one item. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 With a council that consistently votes 3-2, with Stevens and Galbiati
frequently in the minority and council President Jim Ferry as an occasional
swing vote in their favor, the odds of their winning a battle over individual
spending items is unlikely. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A final decision on next year's budget has to be made by the end of 1992.

1993 Budget Tough Cuts, Tough Taxes Are At Issue In Hazleton Mayor Quigley Will Have To Answer To Councilmen