Harlan Kirgan
A budget little changed from the current one was approved by aldermen at Tuesday’s city meeting.
In a budget message, Mayor Scott Fontenot stated that revenues would remain about $11.1 million — the same as the current year.
The city’s budget year is from July through June.
Fontenot stated expenditures are forecast to increase 7 percent with most of the increase planned for the city’s street overlay program.
Steve Moosa, a CPA with Darnall, Sikes & Frederick, presented the budget to the Board and finished by stating it would be tight and need monitoring.
The mayor’s budget message included:
— Revenues, excluding grants and interfund transfers, are budgeted to remain level with the previous year’s budget at $11.1 million. Revenue is comprised of sales tax ($5.2 million), gas & sewer collections ($2.5 million), property tax ($0.7 million), franchise tax ($0.7 million) and other ($2 million).
— Expenditures, excluding grants and interfund transfers, are budgeted to increase 7 percent from the prior year budget. The increase is attributable to additional funding for capital outlay ($0.6 million and operating expenditures ($0.2 million)
— The budget includes capital outlay for police equipment ($155,000), fire equipment ($130,000), recreation and community centers ($205,000), drainage ($50,000) street overlay ($1,000,000), wastewater ($175,000), gas ($50,000), and other ($45,000).
Among Moosa’s budget observations is it has 10 major revenue sources and employee expenses reach to 70 and 80 percent when retirement and health care benefits are tallied.
Moosa presented the Board with pie charts outlining city revenues and expenses.
Adlerwoman Germaine Simpson thanked Moosa for the charts and said people don’t realize 42 percent of the budget is for salaries.
Jack Burson, alderman at-large, made a point he has often made about the city’s property tax lagging behind area cities.
“There are a lot of cities that are well run that have property taxes over 30 mills. Some of that are not so well run have property taxes over 30 mills. We have 11 and half (mills). It is a miracle rally and I think the accountants, the engineers and the workers deserve a lot of credit that have gotten so much mileage out of the property tax we have with regard to streets,” Burson said
The city must do like Crowley did seven or eight years ago and increase property taxes to raise about $7 million to $8 million for a comprehensive road program.
The city has done a $1 million road overlay program that occurs every other year.
But it has been pointed that over the past two decades the money pays for less and less work as costs rise.
The Board also approved amending its current budget to stay within a state-mandated 5 percent of less variance.
In other business, the Board:
— Approved the Coastal Bridge of Baton Rouge bid of $789,265 for the overlay project. Karl Aucoin, city engineer, said the contract is for the work to begin by Aug. 1 and be completed by Oct. 1.
Approved a preliminary plat for housing a development bordered by Bacciochi and Martin Luther King on the city’s north side. The type of housing has not been specified.
Approved demolition on properties located at 20 and 730 Carron St., 451 N. Beulah St. and 350 E. Peach Ave. Property at 560 Lewis St. was given a 30-day reprieve because the owner, Johnny Anderson, has not been served, Vernon McManus, city attorney, said.
— Declared a 1984 Mack fire truck as surplus.