Finance Committee to decide fate of $17.6 million

By AMY SATTERWHITE / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

The city’s Finance Committee members are scheduled to debate budget recommendations for an estimated $17.6 million total budget tomorrow.

Although committees have been meeting for weeks to discuss and recommend various budget proposals in anticipation of the Finance Committee’s meeting, city officials have also approved a resolution authorizing a continuing budget.

That act indicates a new budget will not be approved by the end of the city’s fiscal year, which is June 30. A continuing budget formally allows the city to continue government operations until the 2005-2006 budget is in place, and the practice is common.

Since there are several restricted funds for areas like solid waste and water, the bulk of the city’s budget related to departmental spending is comprised of a $9.5 million general fund.

The general fund allocations, according to the most current data available Wednesday, were: $3.6 million for general government; $1.8 million for police; $1.3 million for fire; $262,000 for codes; $524,000 for public works; $180,000 for the city garage; $60,000 for animal control; $1.3 million for parks and recreation and $341,000 for urban forestry.

City officials have also included in the proposed budget for 2005-2006 almost $3 million for the Main Street project from a variety of sources, including a bond, grants, transfers from the general fund and local donations.

During budget discussions taking place over the past several weeks, concerns have ranged from departmental transportation to maintenance issues.

For the next fiscal year, city officials estimate there will be about $2.5 million in revenue generated from property taxes and $1.6 million from local option sales taxes.

The figures compare to revenues estimated in the 2002-2003 fiscal year of $3 million in property taxes and $650,000 in local option sales taxes, according to the city’s budget figures. City officials voted to lower city property taxes in 2003 after citizens approved a local option sales tax increase.