City's New Budget Comes with Warnings
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^s&foSEfa %& M THURSDAY June 4 2009 The Observer & Eccentric Newspapers Volume 45 OBSERVER Number 3 Win Tickets online 75 CENTS online at hometownfife.com hometownlife.com AROUND City's new budget comes with warnings TOWN BY LEANNE ROGERS Request for court audit goes nowhere, A2. ance after $1 million was transferred ing the city would have a $32 million OBSERVER STAFF WRITER to help balance the general fund. deficit within four years. considered wasteful spending," said That's a 45 percent decrease in what "It's no surprise our revenues are A nearly $60 million general fund Councilman Michael Kehrer. "We're is effectively the city savings account. reduced. It is no secret how hard we budget for thejiscal year start down to employee costs which is The 2009-10 budget trims 14 city worked to balance the budget," said ing July 1 has been adopted by the over 60 percent of our budget. I jobs throughout various departments Kehrer. "We used one-time money. Romulus Police are investigat Westland council along with warn know the employees don't want cuts, due to recent retirements as well as We need to work on employee health ing an early morning accident, ings that current city spending can't I wouldn't either." proposing three layoffs — one in the care. It's unfair to citizens to lay off involving a Wayne-Westland continue. The $59.3 million budget is 2.5 mayoral staff, one in the Assessing workers and reduce services because school bus and a semi trac "This budget is the end of the line. percent less than the $60.8 million „ Department and one in the Building we're not willing to look at reducing tor-trailer on Van Born near Next year this time, we have to make general fund expenditures approved Department. Without changes in the fringe benefits for staff." Cogswell in Romulus. changes. We've cut every department by the council for 2008-09. The bud spending, largely employee-related No one was seriously injured to the bone — anything that could be get preserves a $1.2 million fund bal costs, the city auditors are project Please see SUBSET, A2 in the crash that happened around 7 a.m., according to Superintendent Greg Baracy. The bus was stopped with its lights flashing when it was Wild names new struck from behind by the semi. The truck smashed into the left side of the rear end of the bus, crushing two rows of seats. deputy mayor There were students on the bus and students preparing to board it when the accident and controller occurred, Baracy said. "It's a miracle that some stu BY LEANNE ROGERS dents weren't seriously injured,'' OBSERVER STAFF WRITER Baracy said. "The driver was following procedures and was , It didn't take long for Mayor stopped with the lights on." William Wild to appoint a new deputy The bus was en route to mayor and fill a staff opening that Wayne Memorial High School resulted. in Wayne. According to Baracy, Jade Smith, who had been there was a small number of stu Westland's control dents than normal on the bus. ler, was appointed "The seniors were out or the to become the new bus would have had more stu deputy mayor replac dents on it," he said.^ ing Courtney Conover, Some students were released who resigned to to parents at the scene, oth spend more time with ers were taken to Wayne High her family Wayne- where Romulus Police and EMS Westland Board of meet with them. They also were Education member Smith released to their parents. William Gabriel was appointed to fill the opening as controller. Introducing Smith in his new role, Wild It's not your mother's yard joked that Smith had if- sale - maybe your grandmother's small shoes to fill yard sale. replacing Conover, . If you're looking a potbelly who was widely stove, vintage wooden doors, praised for her efforts in three years as depu Gabriel an antique treadle sewing and BILL BRESLER | STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER other older items, stop by the ty mayor. Trash to Treasures yard sale at Mel Tockstein walks on the path through Jaycee Park during Westland's ninth annual Westland Relay for Life. "Courtney had very small feet," Wild Westland Historic Village Park said. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, June During his two years as controller, 13. The sale is being hosted Wild said Smith had done a good job by the Westland Historical handling the city's purchasing. Commission. Lap it up: Walkers make Relay a success , "He is a great communicator and has strong administrative skills. He BY LEANNE ROGERS involved. I can't walk but I can having a silent auction," said, WOW has worked in banking, most recently £ OBSERVER STAFF WRITER ' hawk things." team captain Joy Ebel. for LaSalle Bank," Wild said. ili^ HI WOW is one of the groups who Teams participating in the A longtime Westland resident, The Salvation Army will once Westland Relay for Life partici have participated in the Westland 24-hour event raised more than Gabriel has more than 20 years expe again being having Christmas in pants had a choice between sweet Relay for Life since it started in $97,000 for the American Cancer rience in upper management in the July. The Westland council has and sour at the booth operated by 2001, only one year after the group Society and expected that total to airline industry, Wild said. approved street collections by the Women of Westland — sweet formed. About 37 teams partici reach at least $100,000 through Past president of the Westland the Salvation Army 10 a.m. to 6 muffins from Mary Denning's Cake pated this year with most of the online donations that were still Library board and a member of the p.m. Saturdays, July 11 and 18, at Shoppe or large sour dill pickles on fund-raising taking place prior coming in. Westland Planning Commission, Wayne and Warren roads. This astick. to the 24-hour event which had A nearby team was called Not Gabriel is in his first term on the will be second year for summer "The sticks are $1 and the pickles walkers on the path at Jaycee Park My Family which seemed to need Wayne-Westland school board. collection effort. are free. Some kids tried to bring throughout the 24 hours, signify some explanation. Pat Guziak's son "He has learned quite a bit about Capt. Derek Rose, pastor at their own sticks but you have to use ing that cancer doesn't sleep. There Brendan, 11, is captain of the team contract negotiations serving on the the Wayne/Westland Corps, our sticks," said Canton resident also was a lap for survivors and a and he came up with the nanie. school board," Wild said. reported the Salvation Army fell Joan Carr, in her fourth year help silent lap with luminaria lining the "He doesn't want anyone in the Both Smith and Gabriel assumed , $9,000 short of its Christmas ing WOW at the American Cancer track in remembrance of those lost family to go through cancer again," their new duties May 28, a day after mail goal, lost two kettle sites Society.fund-raiser. "We're selling to cancer. said Guziak, ticking off a list of Conover finished her time as deputy due to store closings and fund salsa and chips, a LED name card "We collected shirts from all of family members who had been mayor. ing shortages from a variety of and a magnetic flasher. We've gone the relays and made them into a shortages. pretty good — it's all good. I got quilt. It's all hand-stitched. We're Please see RELAY, A2 lrogers®hometownlife.com | (313) 222-5428 '"31 , t ""-;{;«,*** a -*-"*. i Index Three veteran staffers join Westland Observer ;^W^ APARTMENTS ... C3 AUTOMOTIVE ... C6 CAREER BUILDER C5 Two veteran Observer & Eccentric CROSSWORD PUZZLE C2 writers and a photographer have been HOW TO REACH US FILTER B6 reassigned to the staff of the Westland LeAnne Rogers: (313) 222-5428 or by e-mail ^C&s, FOODS WINE B9-10 Observer. at lrogersfhometQwnlife.com OBITUARIES B5 , Staff writer LeAnne Rogers, Features Sharon Dargay: (313) 222-8883 or by e-mail warn® PUBLIC SAFETY A4 Editor Sharon Dargay and photographer at sdargayihometownlifexom REAL ESTATE C2 Steve Cantrell are joining Sports Editor Wo Pmy SPORTS B1 Rogers Brad Emons in providing coverage of the Steve Cantrell: By e-mail at stantrellihome- STRICTLY BUSINESS A5 Westland community. towrilife.com €A$H Rogers is a graduate of Oakland c'»r Your Items For Home University with a degree in history and Dargay earned a bachelor of arts degree jr»f Value! Delivery call: journalism. She joined the Observer & in broadcasting with a minor in Spanish Eccentric in 1988, filling in as a reporter from Marygrove College/University of . JI / : is y Goiti. Cdlns - LCD TVs (866)887-2737 in several communities before joining the Detroit. She also has trained in voice-over I E!e«-fror.i-rs l';deo Games <• DVD's staff of the Garden City Observer in 1989. skills, acted in theater and live radio pro } L<f wpi - toois - Antes & Morel Oarqay A resident of Rochester Hills, she lives ductions, and graduated from Second City in a home built by her grandfather. Detroit's writing and improv conservatory • \ SHY - SFLi - TRADE "I've enjoyed covering Garden City for programs. many years. I will miss the many people She is a longtime Observer & Eccentric GANMETF I've developed relationships with through staff member and has covered both news iWe Pay ; the years," said Rogers.