J-town Mayor Clay Foreman wants the city’s $17 million budget to be voted on by the City Council tonight, but some Council members aren’t ready to do so and want more cuts to city spending.

In a C-J article this morning, Foreman asks for specifics on what needs to be cut.

Council member Ray Perkins has a few ideas. He thinks the city needs to consider slashing costs in some areas, especially in the area of personnel. For instance, Perkins said he thinks the city’s economic development office is overstaffed, and that money being spent on salaries at the city’s Museum and Senior Centers center. He said money in the budget for new police vehicles isn’t necessary.

The city’s economic development office is headed by Mike Kmetz, and Perkins said he’s not convinced that Kmetz and his tw0-person staff (who split duties with the city’s Chamber) are unnecessary.

There is nearly $400,000 in the budget for the economic development department.

But member Kay Ackerson believes getting rid of the department wouldn’t necessarily save that much in the budget. Ackerson said she doesn’t know what Kmetz does, but isn’t ready to make that cut until she knows more.

“I really don’t know what he does. The city needs to have a department like this to work with businesses and help the businesses. We need to do things for the businesses. I think we should look into how much his department contributes to the businesses in Jeffersontown before we go cutting his position,” she said.

The budget includes an extra $600,000 from a change in the way the city collects insurance taxes, money which isn’t certain to come in at that amount.

Perkins said he won’t vote for the current budget if a vote is forced.

Ackerson want to see some changes as well. She wants to know details of what the city is getting in the federal stimulus package.