Board considers possibilities for refuse fund

DeKALB - An available fund of about $500,000 that was revealed to DeKalb City Council members and to the public Monday may have come as a surprise, but it was not hidden from view, two city officials say. The possibility of using a special refuse fund - money saved with the intent to buy new waste-management equipment - as a way to help balance the city's budget has received mixed reactions. “It mystifies me that ... an attempt to be a good thing has turned out to be a bad thing,” City Manager Mark Biernacki said. City officials have been grappling since late last year with how to fill a budget shortfall of about $500,000 for the fiscal year that ends June 30. Biernacki said he was aware of the money in the refuse fund at the beginning of