Webelo Charles Sexton, left, presented questions to the Warsaw City Council as part of his road to earn his Arrow of Light Award. To the right are his brother, Frank, a Star Boy Scout and his fathr, Ed Sexton, Cub Master. The Sextons are part of Cub Scout Pack 3731.

WARSAW — A Webelo working on his Arrow of Light Award learned a little about city government Monday evening, March 21, at the Warsaw Common Council meeting.

Charles Sexton, son of Ed and Amy Sexton, presented a few questions to city council members during its regular meeting. Mayor Joe Thallemer and Council Members Mike Klondaris, Diane Quance, Jeff Grose and Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen helped the young Scout and his brother, Frank, a Star Boy Scout, understand the financial area of the government. The Sextons are part of Cub Scout Pack 3731.

Charles Sexton had a few questions: Where does the money come from? How is the money spent? Who decides what is spent?

Thallemer noted the various different ways the city receives operating money: property taxes, payroll taxes, local option income taxes, payroll taxes and “a lot of other smaller taxes: cigarette tax, financial institution taxes, gas taxes … revenues come into the city.”

Council Member Diane Quance shows Charles Sexton details of the city budget.

Klondaris explained the council creates a budget with a number of pennies divided by the departments. “They tell us what they want, like a wish list, and we decide how much they can spend …. You can’t spend more than you have and we have to make tough decisions.”

“We have to think about things like plowing the streets, paying police and firemen, getting water …” said Quance who used her iPad to show Charles Sexton the budgets.

Grose explained the various departments stating the council has to think about police cars, fire trucks, snow removal, trash removal. “The three biggest departments that take a lot of money are police, fire and streets … cost millions of dollars.” Christiansen added the wastewater department is a revenue making department in the city.

“The fun department is the parks department,” said Thallemer adding the city also supports an airport, cemetery … “a lot of different areas … we start in July (on the budget) and it takes a while.”

“People ask the government to do what they don’t want to do,” explained Grose, adding he doesn’t want to go into a burning building, carry a gun … “People pay the government to do those things and hope we spend it wisely …” Following the meeting Grose shared with the Scouts some of the documents council members were reviewing during the meeting.

Councilman Jack Wilhite, liaison between the First Christian Church and the Cub Scout Pack, encouraged both boys to pursue their Eagle Scout Award. “You don’t know how much it means until five, six years later and you’re out of high school.” Thallemer added. “It’s hard to do when you’re doing it, but it is quite a credential.”