As expected, Greenville council Monday reopened the $3 million-plus 2002 budget, which is the first step to balancing the deficit-plagued spending plan.

Newly elected Councilman Pete Longiotti moved -- with fellow rookie Councilman David Henderson seconding -- to reopen the 2002 budget.

With help of new council members -- three others were appointed Monday -- and new borough manager Kenneth S. Weaver, council has until Feb. 15 to figure out how to stem a deficit without raising taxes more than the 5 percent permitted by law.

By law, taxes cannot be raised more than 5 percent in the first year of a change in property assessment. In March, Mercer County commissioners raised the one-third assessment ratio to 100 percent of 1970 property values.

The deficit, according to Councilman Bryan D. Langietti, who is chairing the budget review committee, is less than $100,000.

On Dec. 31, council adopted an unbalanced budget with a 1.25-mill, or 4.6 percent, tax hike. The original budget proposal called for a 14.6 mill tax increase, but to meet the 5 percent ceiling, council cut the tax increase and $98,000 in expected revenue.

When that budget was adopted, then-Councilman Thomas McMurdy urged incoming council members to reopen the spending plan for review.

With the budget reopened and the fire department and Greenville-West Salem Township police about to get new chiefs, retired firefighter Raymond McCauley suggested a public safety director be appointed to oversee both departments, instead of paying a fire chief and a police chief. McCauley also suggested paying a single public works director to oversee the street department and sewer system.

McCauley said he had nothing against the people in those positions. Council previously appointed Lt. Steve Thompson to be fire chief when Fire Chief Walter "Chad" Sankey, who is on vacation, retires Feb. 15. Greenville-West Salem Township Police Chief Barry Williams, who also is on vacation, announced his intention to retire also in February.

Langietti said, "Since November, we've been working on consolidation (of job positions), and we will continue to look at it in the budget review."

McCauley also suggested the fire department, which already inspects buildings, take over for the code enforcement officer.

Nevertheless, council reappointed George Pangas as code enforcement officer at a salary of $30,000, which is funded by a Community Development Block Grant.

Council is under pressure to get its fiscal house in order. "I've heard on the streets that we should get someone in here to tell us if we are doing anything wrong. If we're not doing anything wrong, fine," Longiotti said.

As it does annually, council appointed the Sharon accounting firm of Black, Bashor, and Porsch as the borough's auditor. Weaver said the accounting firm will do a more in-depth audit than in the past, and it will meet with council to go over the report in detail.