HUMBOLDT — Humboldt City Council members on Monday approved the city’s revamped 2011 spending plan, which will keep the local property tax levy almost identical to this year.
The budget also includes a number of adjustments by City Administrator Larry Tucker to reduce transfers from the city’s gas and water utility funds, a sticking point for some council members at a special July 26 meeting.
Tucker said his most recent plan cut more than $22,000 in expenditures from the city’s general fund and $10,000 from Humboldt’s swimming pool fund.
The pool would hire fewer lifeguards next year to match reduced attendance. Pool use dropped more than 35 percent this year, due in part to the opening of a new swimming pool in Chanute.
The biggest cuts, though, were reserved for utility funds. Tucker said spending for the city’s gas utility fund could be pared by more than $106,400 by eliminating the purchase of $53,000 worth of automated gas meters and reducing transfers to the general and sewer funds by another $42,000.
Other cuts would reduce spending in the water utility fund by $26,400 and $5,800 in the sewer utility fund.
With Tucker’s proposed cuts in hand, Humboldt’s 2011 budget stands at $3.4 million, up slightly from the $3.2 million allocated for this year.
Tucker said he also would endorse — for now — a hiring freeze for the city and that any vacancies would be filled only with the council’s approval. He also urged the council to maintain the salary schedule for city employees instituted in 2008 that includes a 2 percent raise next year, costing an additional $20,000. Appointed city employees, such as Tucker, would not receive a raise, he said.
The city’s budget will be supported in part by an ad valorem tax levy of about 64.3 mills, up from 63.7 mills in 2010, which will bring in about $394,000. Those numbers may be adjusted once Humboldt’s final assessed valuation is determined this fall.
Using those figures, the owner of a $100,000 home would pay about $740 — about $6 more than this year — in property taxes to the city, not counting taxes spent to support USD 258, the county or Allen County Community College.
The budget plan was approved 6-1, with council members Wayne Carson opposed and Sean McReynolds absent.
COUNCIL members approved inclusion of Mount Hope Cemetery in the city’s ongoing water line rehabilitation project. The Mount Hope Cemetery board has about $15,000 in cash on hand, not enough to pay for water line upgrades, Tucker said. Adding new water lines and replacing some hydrants will cost an estimated $19,258, Tucker said, and would be paid for with a United States Department of Agriculture loan, which already is being used for a portion of the $1.6 million project.
Council member Vada Aikins asked engineers to look at the number of hydrants being installed at $395 apiece to determine if fewer could be installed.
The project was approved 5-1, with Carson and Otis Crawford opposed.
Council members accepted a bid from Comfort Contractors for $61,449.24 to provide units to heat and cool the north end of the new city hall building using existing duct work. Engineers also will look at whether adding heat pumps to the system would make it more efficient. If not, $3,400 could be pared from the expense. The funds for the project come from a $70,000 USDA grant, Tucker said.
Comfort Contractors’ bid was the lowest of three received. It was approved 6-1, Carson opposed.
Council members also approved a contract with the accounting firm of Jarred, Gilmore and Phillips to audit the city’s 2010 budget next year at a cost of $4,600.
NEW standard traffic ordinances and public offense codes were approved to conform with state law, including a new primary seat belt law that allows officers to cite motorists for not wearing seat belts even if they spot no other violations, Police Chief Dan Onnen said.
Council members also approved an amendment to the city’s sick leave pool policy, adding 145.75 hours of sick leave for a specific city employee who otherwise does not qualify for workers’ compensation for a work-related illness. The employee was not identified.