Council approves 2023 fiscal budget

The Warren City Council approved a 2023 fiscal budget during a special council meeting Thursday night, making several amendments to Warren Mayor James Fouts’ $337.2 million recommended document.

The new budget was overshadowed by past disputes between the mayor and city council and contained several amendments, described by Secretary Mindy Moore as “safeguards,” that are clearly meant to keep a tight rein on departments that followed the mayor’s 2022 proposed budget instead of the council’s approved 2022 budget. For those departments, which include the Downtown Development Authority and communications, line item funding requests were either eliminated or greatly reduced.

“I want to stress that because we were forced to do this, it doesn’t mean the administration can’t come to council to ask for an appropriation of funds,” said Moore.

Last month, the city council prevailed in a lawsuit filed in Macomb County Circuit Court regarding who has the final say on the city budget. The ruling from visiting Judge Denis LeDuc declared language in Warren’s city charter “unambiguous” in saying that while the mayor is tasked with proposing the budget and making recommendations, it is the city council’s job to amend, approve and authorize it.

Moore began discussion of the 2023 fiscal budget by pointing out that because the mayor’s 2023 proposed budget was incorrectly based on his 2022 proposed budget and not the council’s 2022 approved budget, the council had to make several amendments.

“We began this year’s budget with a proposed

budget that contained erroneous information,” said Moore. “The expenditure reports that we received were incorrect. This year more than ever it was important that we meet with department heads to better understand the finances and operations of the city since the information we received initially could not be relied upon.”

Moore went on to chide Fouts for not requiring department heads to attend the April 23 city council budget hearings and singled out Library Director Oksana Urban and Senior Housing Director Sean Clark for their absences because, in her opinion, they do not work directly for Mayor Fouts and should have attended.

“The city council prevailed in court against the mayor regarding our 2021-22 budget dispute and immediately after the final order of the court, the mayor went on attack mode against the council,” said Moore. “Nevertheless, the council approached the budget process professionally.”

Mayor Fouts requested that all budget questions be submitted in writing and said they would be answered in writing with all questions and answers to be posted on the Warren city website. Questions were submitted on April 25 and answered on May 4. Members of the council also met with Controller Richard Fox and spoke to some department heads to clarify the answers to some of the questions. Council members then made recommendations for amendments to the mayor’s proposed budget.

Council amendments include:

The vote to approve the budget was 5-2 with councilpersons Eddie Kabacinski and Ron Papandrea casting the dissenting votes. Councilwoman Angela Rogensues said she was voting in favor of the budget because she felt the process was collaborative and because she believes the city needs to avoid going to court over a budget controversy for the third consecutive year.

“I appreciated being kept in the loop on the budget and my goal is to keep us out of court and for us to continue to work collaboratively,” said Rogensues. “Let us work on behalf of the citizens.”

The special council meeting was sparsely attended with less than a half dozen people present.

Fouts is expected to veto the council’s approved 2023 fiscal budget.