WEATHERScary-good news for Sandusky budget
Oct 26
2010
Sandusky's budget experienced a scary good run this summer, thanks largely to Cedar Point’s Halloweekends.
Through Oct. 19, the city is looking at a $200,000 to $500,000 surplus, following a surge in tourism dollars.
City leaders budgeted for a major decrease in tourism because of a struggling economy. But instead, Sandusky has only seen large increases form this source of revenue.
“Where we were last year, there was no way to guess we’d be where we are now,” Sandusky finance director Hank Solowiej said.
Hot, dry weather and heavy online promotions led to a strong summer for Cedar Point, park spokesman Robin Innes said.
Unlike last year, many more people spent the night at local hotels as opposed to taking day trips, the city’s finance reports show.
The city began the year with a $2.8 million cash balance. City leaders drastically reduced spending in hopes of balancing the budget.
Solowiej said he's now “pretty confident” the city will finish with no worse than a $3 million balance.
“I think that’s looking pretty safe,” he said. “Somewhere between $3 million and $3.3 million.”
It’s not all good news though.
Through the end of September, income taxes remain down 6.5 percent compared to last year, or about $295,000. The city budgeted for a 4 percent decrease, but lost more jobs than it expected, Solowiej said.
Still, the city received a big boost from the estate tax this year, which will temporarily offset the declines in income-tax revenues.
The government collects estate-tax revenues when local residents die. The city projected it would collect $150,000 in estate-tax revenues this year, but it has already received $403,000.
Earlier this week, Erie Regional Planning Commission reported that Sandusky's population has dropped by nearly 8 percent in the past decade.
What it means for Sandusky: less revenue.
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10:40 PM
Yellow Snow says
Don't spend today, that which you didn't have yesterday. I didn't get a check with over-time this week, so I won't spend as if I did. When I have an excess of unexpected funds, you can bet your last dollar I'll try to hold on to it for one of those rainy days, not spend it just because I have it.
08:44 PM
trucker says
I guess the mental freaks paid off.
04:24 PM
Cross says
Good job, CP.
12:22 PM
Exxcellent says
Is that their idea of job creation? Employ more people to do more studies?
11:26 AM
brutus smith says
Gee, do you think the stimulus helped out?
09:55 AM
Cityslicker says
I see they approved some more of the First Energy money for another study. This time it's for regional dispatch. Let the Chiefs of the departments do the studies. They can get input just as well from the people that are most experienced in it. Oh well, 50k here and 50k here for study, study, study. Have not had the time to see the meetings, but I can bet who's idea that was.
09:39 AM
WhatTheHeck says
$68,500 plus expenses for police & fire study
$49,700 for a dispatch study
$118,200 for studies
Priceless!!!
Thank you Brown, Hamilton and Farrar for voting NO on this bull.
08:43 AM
Louie says
Lets give Cedar Point some more credit in which it doesnt deserve. The only reason the city has any money is because of the services like the recycling bins and what ever else it has cut to the people that live here in this Cedar Point dump.Any money the city does obtain legally or not no one ever sees where it goes anyway.Lets give Cedar Point credit whether it deserves it or not in most cases not.I get so tired of hearing how cp and tourism helps Sandusky so much the only ones it helps are the crooked politicians who stick it in their pockets .If something is done here its always to benefit Cedar Point and no one else.This whole place is a joke and the only ones who pay the price are the people who live here.
08:14 AM
Darkhorse says
The money goes in one door and out the other. As soon as the city obtains any money, they have to spend it. The city is on a roll after just closing the city contracts, now we have all kinds of money. Remember when the city building was falling apart and we were in need of selling off the city building because the windows were so bad, etc.? They spent the First Energy money on studies instead of windows. Someone needs to at least caulk the windows for this winter to at least save some heat until we get windows . How much does caulk cotss?
07:54 AM
HughJass says
Dont worry, it will all be spent within 6 mos to do more worthless studies that tell everyone what we already know, Sandusky is dead.
07:04 AM
Bada Bing says
maybe we all should be kinder to CP.