General, street, animal control funds updated
Benton City Council has approved a revised budget for the city’s general fund, street fund and animal control fund.
The action occurred Monday night in a council meeting following a recommendation from Alderman Doug Stracener, chairman of the council’s standing Finance Committee.
The budget changes were approved through an ordinance, which Stracener said was a first-time occurrence for the council.
The Finance Committee recommended the revisions, which show $8 million for personnel, $2,150 million for operations and maintenance and $363,352 for capital items in the General Fund, Stracener noted.
The new budget for the Street Fund lists $725,000 for personnel, $550,000 for operations and maintenance, and $728,265 for capital items.
The Animal Control Fund lists $282,611 for personnel and $40,344 for operations and maintenance. It does not allocate any funds for capital items.
In Stracener’s summary, he noted that capital expenditures and special projects for the fiscal year will include the following:
• A new vehicle for the mayor’s use. This will cost $25,000, the summary notes.
Mayor Rick Holland requested the vehicle in 2007 and it was approved for purchase, but it will not be delivered until this year, making the actual expenditure for 2008 instead of 2007. With respect to the budget, year to year, there is no increase in the capital expenditure for the mayor’s office, the summary notes.
•For the police department, $112,321 is budgeted for the lease/purchase of 10 new police cars.
•For the fire department, the budget reflects the second installment due for a new 50-foot fire truck to replace a 1988 50-foot truck currently in use by the department. The total cost of the truck is $427,516. Under a lease/purchase agreement, the city will be making four payments of $106,879.
•For the community development department, two aging vehicles currently in use by department personnel are being replaced. The city will purchase, by state bid, two Ford Ranger pickups at $11,408 each.
•For the Street Fund, the budget includes the purchase of two new vehicles. One will replace a 1999 Dodge half-ton pickup at a cost of $16,500; the second replaces a 1999 street sweeper currently in use by the department. It will cost $155,00.
•For special projects, the budget includes $556,765. Areas slated for improvements are Hurricane Phase 2 and 3 repairs, $70,000; Denise Drive culvert repairs, $95,000; East Lakeview drainage, $60; Timbermist subdivision street repairs, $11,650; Jackman Street, $50,000; Jill and Coats roads, $40,000; Fairfield Road repairs, $69,200; and North and Spring streets, $136,915.
•For the Street Improvement Fund (quarter-cent sales tax revenue), many capital items already are approved and under way. The budget includes $100,00-0 for various sidewalk projects throughout the city. |
Razorbacks
