MURRAY — Mayor Dan Snarr heralded his new budget plan of having residents pay for trash collection as "Doing What Is Right."
But to others he sounded a sour note.
Snarr said his 2000-01 fiscal budget plan reflects the "needs and opportunities" of the city. So he recently offered up a patchwork of spending ideas from paying for more baseball fields and repairing roads to adding one new employee, an assistant court clerk, while still offering a 2 percent salary boost for other city employees.
It's the third consecutive year Snarr has trumpeted a garbage collection fee, something that most municipalities charge.
But the $23.1 million spending plan sounded like a broken record to some council members.
"There's no need for a garbage pickup fee," said Councilman John Rush. "We already pay for it out of the general fund. It's not a relevant issue."
Resident Don Patton agreed.
"Just because other cities do it doesn't mean we have to," Patton said.
A copy of the mayor's proposed budget is available for public viewing at City Hall, 5025 S. State. The council is expected to make revisions before final approval on June 20. A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for June 6.
The overall proposed budget totals $62 million, which includes the Power Department budget. It's a 3 percent increase from this year's fiscal budget. Most significant is the proposed $23.1 million general fund, which is where property-tax dollars are used to pay for basic services such as police, fire, streets and parks.
Currently residents pay $2.50 a month to rent a garbage can. But in order to pay for garbage collection services, about $450,000 comes out of the general fund.
Snarr wants to charge residents a $6.80 monthly fee, plus an additional charge for every trash bin that would be collected. The money collected would be set aside into a separate, solid waste enterprise fund.
"The issue is what's right and what's fair," Snarr said. He said businesses are subsidizing the garbage service because residents aren't paying a fee.
"What we're doing is wrong," Snarr said. He made his point by reciting the lyrics of "Do What Is Right," a hymn popular among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Garbage should be on a pay-for-service basis, he said. "There are groups in this city which pay property taxes into the general fund, yet we do not pick up their garbage. These include all our businesses, triplex, fourplex, apartment buildings and most condominium complexes," he added.
That would free up money in the general fund to pay for such proposed projects as:
Building a ball diamond at Willows Pond, $900,000.
Expanding the Heritage senior center parking lot by buying nearby property for $319,000.
Buying police cars and equipment, $308,000.
Replacing a fire engine, $330,000.
Enhancing the fire communication system, $130,000.
Completing Cottonwood Street, $300,000.
Repairing Fashion Boulevard, between 5770 South and 5900 South, $450,000.
Repairing 300 West, between Vine Street and 5300 South, $150,000.
Buying equipment for the road department, $237,000.
You can reach Donna M. Kemp by e-mail at donna@desnews.com