43
Hubbard budget up for passage
HUBBARD
The city council began passage of the city’s 2015 budget Monday with the first of three readings.
Council’s finance committee chairman Ray Moffitt announced the budgets for the city departments and how much they differed from this year’s.
The police department is getting $1,497,600, a 3.8 percent increase from this year. The department intends to purchase a cruiser and adjust the hours for the data clerk, he said.
The street department is getting $740,500, up 13.3 percent from this year. The increase has a lot to do with the price of road salt going up, Moffit said, and also with street paving.
The water department’s budget is $1,845,925, a 3 percent decrease from this year.
The waste-treatment plant’s budget is $1,183,160, a 2 percent increase.
Council President Bill Williams said the budget talks proceeded quickly this year, attributing that to no longer having to deal with line-item budgeting.
“You’ve done it,” he said. “We see all these communities in trouble, and we’re keeping our head above water. This just worked out well, and I thank everybody for their hard work.”
“It truly is a team effort,” said Mayor John Darko. “It’s much easier doing a budget in the situation we’re in. Now our funds are healthy,” he added.