The federal government is renewing a smoking cessation grant for Gary.
The renewal is causing the Common Council to consider alterations to the 2018 calendar year budget to accommodate the additional funds.
As previously presented, Gary had funds in its budget to accommodate the Northwest Indiana Health Cooperative through June 30.
But the extension means the program will have funding for the rest of 2018 and into next year as well. If fully funded, the program has a budget of $138,648 – with $57,000 to cover the salary of Director Cynthia Sampson and $12,480 to handle the part-time salary of assistant Maxi Brown.
Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said the Common Council has oversight of the funds, but not the program itself. She said the program covers the cost of billboards and other advertisements erected across Gary and surrounding communities to try to discourage people from smoking.
“They’re trying to bring about the cessation of smoking,” the mayor said.
The Common Council’s Finance Committee reviewed the change in the city budget, with no objections by council members. Actual approval of the budget change could occur when the full Council meets again Aug. 21 at City Hall.
Finance committee members also reviewed a proposed change in the budgets for Marquette Park and the Hudson-Campbell Fitness Center, juggling funds between the two to ensure adequate money is in place to cover salaries for staffers at Hudson-Campbell, the facility located in downtown Gary.
There also will be changes made to cover the salaries of ticket takers working at the Hudson-Campbell facility.
Those employees were supposed to be paid at a rate of $8.25 per hour for their work, but the amount of money budgeted came up 50 cents per hour short of that amount, city Controller Angelia Hayes said.
Once additional funds are formally transferred into the Hudson-Campbell account later this month, those workers will receive an extra check to cover the amount they were short-changed.
Gregory Tejeda is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.