A "bare-boned" budget resulting from the non-allocation of state road funds has won the blessing of the City Council here but not before all department heads were told to trim their budget requests.
"We are on a bare-boned budget," said Mayor Gordon Taylor. Despite the plea, most department budgets rose or stayed essentially the same.The city was expecting some $80,000 in state road funds that it's now not going to get, he said. That $80,000 will have to be funded locally through budget cuts citywide.
Meanwhile, the city was already committed to a large road project, he said. The road project includes putting in storm drains, curbs and gutters along 300 South and 800 South. The latter is a main road that leads to I-15.
Taylor said he still has unanswered questions on why Payson didn't get the state money. "We didn't get it for whatever reason," he said. Keith Morey, city administrator, was unavailable for comment.
Nonetheless, the budget totals $14.2 million for the 1998-99 fiscal year. That total includes a general fund budget of $3.77 million, about the same as the current fiscal year; an enterprise budget of $9.5 million; and a special revenue budget of $1 million.
The City Council approved the final budget last week that will be put into play July 1. General fund revenues include $510,000 in property taxes, up from $470,000; $1 million in sales and use taxes. Property taxes will remain the same; the increase is expected primarily from new houses, said Jeanette Callaway, city recorder.
The city also expects to collect more in building permit fees, also from growth and the construction of new houses and new buildings in the Payson business park, said Taylor. This year it collected $270,000, and it expects to collect $300,000 in the coming fiscal year. The planning and zoning department budget will rise from $268,500 to $455,509 because the city combined engineering and economic development budgets into the planning and zoning budgets.
The police department budget will remain essentially the same at $1.08 million, including animal control. A $20,000 increase in animal control for a part-time person was requested, but city officials turned it down.
The budget for fire department salaries rose to $92,000, up from $65,000. Originally the 1998 fiscal year budget for fire department salaries totaled $3,500. "The city has grown so much that volunteers can no longer handle it," Taylor said. Staff is now paid, including a new fire inspector position. The city still has volunteer firefighters, he said.
Park rental fees are expected to rise from the current $6,000 to $9,000. Park expenditures, however, total $102,500 for the next fiscal year, while $88,500 in expenditures was requested as part of the budget trimming effort. Taylor said that cut was too steep and officials restored the budget back to $102,500, the same amount the parks department got last year. That budget was revised upward to $119,500 midyear, however. Tax dollars and utility income funds most of that budget, rather than fees.
Enterprise funds, on the other hand, are income producing from such utilities as water, solid waste, sewer and electricity. Money is also generated from the ambulance, Gladstone golf course including the restaurant there, race track and city swimming pool. These self-sufficient enterprises often collect more money than they need, which in turn is transferred to the general fund for city activities that aren't revenue producing, helping to keep the tax rate down, Callaway said. Revenue from Gladstone golf course restaurant and swimming pool at the city park also goes into the enterprise funds.
*****
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Budget: Payson
General fund: $3,775,223
1998-99
General fund: $3,672,985
1997-98
Where it comes from:
Property tax $510,000
Last year $470,000
Sales tax $1.06 million
Last year $1.02 million
Cable TV franchise fees $60,000
Last year $45,000
Where it goes:
Council & admin. $954,905
Last year $955,500
Planning & zoning $455,509
Last year $268,500
Police $1.08 million
Last year $1.08 million
Fire $158,200
Last year $124,372
Animal control $65,500
Last year $61,500
Streets $235,638
Last year $244,500
Recreation $139,009
Last year $132,000
Tax/fee increases:
None