Wednesday, March 6, 2002
Residents may see an increase on their municipal electric bill.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
COLUMBIANA -- City council members have a two-week homework assignment.
Council received the proposed 2002 budget Tuesday and will discuss it at a special meeting at 7 p.m. March 13 before being asked to adopt it March 19.
The budget includes $20,040,000 in expenditures, with $1.4 million estimated for the general fund. Expenditures in 2001 were $19.6 million, with $1.5 million spent from the general fund.
City Finance Director Mary Louise Dicken said she projected city income tax collections for 2002 at $1.2 million, the same as she projected for 2001.
Actual city income tax collected in 2001 was about $1,201,000, down from $1,319,000 in 2000, she said.
Dicken said the proposed budget does not allow for a $250,000 transfer from the general fund to the electric fund. Without the transfer, residents will likely see an increase of $2 to $5 per month on their municipal electric bill.
Seeking new firetruck: Councilman Devin Witt said he would like the budget to include $25,000 from the capital improvements fund to help pay for a new firetruck.
Dicken said there is $100,000 -- with $50,000 collected in each of the past two years -- set aside from the general fund for the firetruck. She said she was able to set aside the money because more was collected in estate taxes than anticipated.
Dicken said she usually puts the money into the firetruck fund after estate taxes are collected.
Witt, however, said some money for the truck should come from the capital improvements fund, and he wants that to be reflected in the budget.
Dicken said she would check before the March 13 meeting to make sure she can legally make that transfer.
She said firefighters have estimated the cost of a new firetruck at $300,000 or more.