Sparta budget has shortfall

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[City leaders in Sparta will be looking at ways to make painful budget cuts in these hard economic times.

There will be a $375,000 shortfall in Sparta's general fund in the city's budget for the next fiscal year, Commissioner Gary Stephens told the Sparta Board of City Commissioners at their meeting last week. The general fund finances most of the city's operations.

Mayor Rob Link asked the board to prepare a budget for the city and said he would not approve a budget that isn't balanced.

The board has already closed the Municipal Swimming Pool for this summer in an unpopular cost-saving measure.

Angela Peters was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of City Clerk Shirley Reimer. Peters had served as Freedom of Information Act Officer. That duty will now be performed by Janice Taylor.