Several ideas discussed in January and this month by the Bluffton council finance committee help form future village spending.

Meeting on Jan. 25, the committee of David Steiner and Phill Talavinia met with three village administrative staff members, Jack Huber, village administrator, Jesse Blackburn, assistant administrator, and Laura Ewing, fiscal officer and Richard Johnson, mayor.

Subsequent follow-up meetings took place on Feb. 21 with finance committee and village safety services personnel. On Feb. 22 the committee met with service department employees. On Monday, Feb. 26, the committee will meet again with village administration.

According to Steiner, the meetings focus on capital budgets for coming appropriations and will help the village create a 10-year projection of village expenses.

The committee will also take into consideration the expenses of 2016 and look for any significant increases. Steiner said that the plan starts the budget off conservatively.  In the three meetings with department heads the committee will hear their wants and needs list.

Steiner says that the village cash reserves should be at $1 million. The Jan. 25 meeting starting point assumes the village budget process will begin with a 3 percent increase on all expenses from 2017.