KALAMAZOO (WKZO) — Kalamazoo City Commissioners are set to approve their 2015 budget, after their newest Commissioner takes the oath of office.
Eric Cunningham was chosen from a field of 15-candidates to fill out the term left vacant by the resignation of Stephanie Moore.
Cunningham says he studied the City Manager’s budget proposal as part of his preparation for running for the job.
The 145-million dollar spending plan only calls for a few staff reductions and no tax increases.
Kalamazoo City Commissioners will likely approve this year’s 145-million dollar budget tonight, and they may also begin a process to alter how the city handles its finances in the future.
City Manager Jim Ritsema has been authorized to phase in priority based budgeting, which is a computer based community input model designed to reprioritize spending to eliminate future deficits.
Ritsema is expected to outline the first part of that process, collecting public input this evening.
Cuts in state funding and hits to the tax base have resulted in projections of deficits as far as Kalamazoo City staff can forecast, even with the economic recovery. The goal is to cut spending and erase the red ink.
