Recreation should have a higher priority in the city's budget for the coming year, one citizen told the Centerville City Council on Tuesday in its public hearing on the proposed 1992-93 budget.
Resident Ron Horn said development of the city's recreation complex along the I-15 frontage road should have a higher priority than building a new city hall.The city wants to do both, and both are top-priority items, Mayor Michael Kjar responded.
Only three residents chose to speak at the Tuesday's budget hearing, including former Mayor Dean Argyle, who complimented the council on its spending plans for the coming year.
The city is asking for no property tax or fee increases, anticipating that growth will increase its general fund spending by about 7 percent, from $2.63 million to $2.83 million.
The council, which formed itself into a municipal building authority at Tuesday's meeting, wants to raise $2.1 million to build a new city hall on property the city purchased last year on Main Street, adjacent to Founders Park.
The city also plans to seed and install the sprinkler system on the 23-acre recreation site this year, part of its phased development plan for the recreation site.
Kjar told Horn that the city has already spent nearly $1 million on developing the site, part coming from city funds and part from state and federal recreation development grants.
The proposed budget also includes $356,000 for street projects and $350,000 for culinary water system improvements, along with $52,000 for staff salary increases.
After the public hearing, the council approved several amendments to the budget.
If an additional $48,000 is available in January, the council approved hiring another police officer. The money could be available if the council has underestimated property or sales tax revenues.
The council, after a long discussion, agreed to leave the city's payment to South Davis Fire District at its current level of $199,000 but to put an additional $26,000 in a separate fund for a possible additional payment.
The district, which provides fire protection to the city, requested $125,000 for the coming year, up from last year's $199,000. But the council balked, saying questions about how the money will be spent and other questions on manpower and station staffing levels have not been answered to its satisfaction.
The council also agreed to earmark $3,500 for construction of a "Welcome to Centerville" sign at the Parrish Lane exit from I-15.
Adoption of the city's final budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and amendments to the current year's budget is set for June 16.