WILMINGTON — The finance committee of Wilmington council met Wednesday night to discuss the city’s budget and recommend to council multiple supplemental appropriations and a miscellaneous transfer.

Wilmington Mayor John Stanforth and his administration are still putting together a budget showing $1.3 million in cuts, though Marian Miller, Stanforth’s executive assistant, said it already looks drastic.

Previously, Miller said the administration wants to put together a budget for council’s consideration. If council doesn’t like that budget, she said, it could consider raising revenue. The budget approved this year had a $1.3 million deficit that was projected to leave the city with about $400,000, if the projections held true.

However, since that budget passed, several cost savings have been realized, Miller said.

Wednesday, Miller used the example of either eliminating the maintenance and repair department or cutting half the police department’s budget to balance the budget.

“We’re formulating the results of that,” Miller said. “If you cut the streets department, you still likely have to contract snow removal. So, we have to get some cost estimates to have the counter balance.”

Stanforth said that would also mean deferring all street maintenance. He said 60 percent of the city’s general fund goes to the Wilmington Police Department and must be addressed.

“If you’re going to cut, you’ve got to cut police,” Stanforth said.

Wilmington Safety and Service Director Brian Shidaker said about 75 percent of the police department’s budget is personnel.

Miller added that $500,000 in cost savings have been identified or realized aside from the examples of eliminating the maintenance and repair department or cutting the police budget in half.

Some already realized savings include reducing the Human Resources department from two people to one when Danny Mongold retired. Some of the identified cuts could include removing positions, like assistant fire chief, or departments, such as maintenance and repair or human resources, Miller said.

Moving the street sweeper from general fund to the wastewater fund would help the general fund, too, Miller also said.

“We’re about halfway to a million dollars in cuts,” Miller said. “But once we finish that million-dollar cut, we want to show you the cause and effect of that.”

Wilmington Treasurer Paul Fear also said several city employees may have issues, too, since the city’s unionized workforces – law enforcement and fire – secured raises but the other city employees haven’t had raises.

“There’s employee issues you still need to be concerned about,” Fear said.

Fear said no one has looked at the city’s benefits for families, adding that it costs more than $22,000 per family and that most employees take family benefits.

Miller said the union negotiations require benefits, and council member Joe Spicer said that cutting benefits to the non-union employees would only result in a unionized workforce.

Committee chair Mark Mckay said that four years ago, the city calculated it would have taken a 6-mill property tax levy to generate about $1.5 million. A half-percent earnings tax would generate about $2 million, according to McKay.

McKay said a property tax levy would affect those on a fixed income more than would an earnings tax, which exempts Social Security payments, for instance.

Stanforth said a property tax levy would also affect the largest users of city services, later adding that the city needs money for streets and safety.

Committee member Randi Milburn added that a property tax levy earmarked for police would benefit those living here while also requiring those living here to pay for it.

“Sounds like it’s going to be an interesting discussion,” McKay said.

Miller said the city is waiting until after April 15 to speak with Wilmington Auditor David Hollingsworth about the budget to craft a finalized proposal.

The committee will recommend council approve a resolution asking Clinton County Auditor Terry Habermehl’s office about tax and levy rates and how much money they might generate.

Reach Nathan Kraatz at 937-382-2574, ext. 2510 or on Twitter @NathanKraatz.