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Show Tentative Bountiful General Budget Goes Over $3 Million By GARY R. BLODGETT BOUNTIFUL -- A general operations budget totaling $3,189,622 was given tentative approval for 197H-79 by the Bountiful City Council Wednesday Wed-nesday night. THE PROPOSED budget compares to $2,864,259 which is expected to be spent this fiscal year which ends June 30, according to City Manager (irant Peterson who made the two-hour presentation to the City Council. He said the Council will have about four weeks to study the proposed figures before the tentative budget is advertised. A public hearing for final adoption will be held June 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers. THERE WILL be no increase in the city's mill levy - which will remain at 12 mills, Mr. Petersen noted. He noted thai most of the increased budget for next fiscal fis-cal year will be based on increased salaries, hiring of additional employees, and increased cost of supplies and services. THE COUNCIL, in giving tentative approval of the budget, bud-get, accepted the hiring of two new police officers, two new firemen, an assistant planner, a legal aid, and a secretary. The council also tentatively approved a capital improvements budget totaling to-taling $4,449,374; water and sewer budget of $824,543; golf course budget of $238,66(1; collector road fund. $80,000; Class "C" road fund of $77,507; and debt service budget of $131,997. THE POWER and Light Company budget will be presented separately, it was explained. The largest source of revenue will be from property taxes based on the city's current 12-mill levy and assessed as-sessed valuation of property. THE ASSESSED valuation is placed at nearly $72.5 million, thus providing an income in-come through property taxes to the city of $869,794. ' Sales and use taxes will net an expected $455,000; refuse collection fees. $236,000; court tines, $180,000; and contributions contribu-tions from the city-owned power eompanv should total $495,000. MR. PETERSEN said there PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 2 Tentative Budget lo Over $3 Million CONTINUED FROM FRONT j is consideration for improv-mg improv-mg the city's garbage collection collec-tion fee from $2.75 to $3 per : month "to bring it more in line with other city services." Bountiful's portion of sales and use taxes will provide the largest hunk of revenue for the capital improvements fund, $453,000. Revenue sharing shar-ing will add $225,000; contributions con-tributions from the Power and Light Company, $231,750; contributions from storm drainage fees, $100,000; and unspent monies, $200,000. THE LARGEST single expenditure ex-penditure from the general fund will be for salaries, $181,987 - compared to $140,834 budgeted this year. Mr. Petersen said most of the increase will reflect in a salary increase for all employees amounting to 5 percent of their salary plus $20 per month - an average of 6. 9 percent. "MERIT RAISES in step grade may also be given to those employees who qualify," the city manager explained. "But all employees benefited from the cost of living raise." The police department noted not-ed a $100,000 increase in its general fund, from $504,337 Ihis fiscal year to $604,423 for next fiscal year. MOST OF this increase will be in salaries with the hiring of two officers and a court bailiff. If approved, the police will also find themselves better protected. Included in the proposed budget is $3,844 for the purchase of 31 protective vests. ALSO PROPOSED are teleprinters for patrol cars and a recorder to record all police calls. "I place these as lop priority in new equipment needed by the department," said Larry Higgins, newly appointed police chief. HE HAD ALSO asked for three 4-wheel drive vehicles to serve the rapidly growing east bench, but this request met with some opposition from the council. Fire Chief Darrell Mcllrath also made a plea with council in defense of his request for $30,000 to build living quarters adjacent to the No. 1 (downtown) station where two firemen are on duty at all limes. 'THAT BIG building (station) (sta-tion) gets unbearably hot in the summer and remains cold in the winter," said Chief Mcllrath. "It's just too big to regulate the heat and the men deserve better living quarters." He also asked Ihe council for a mini-pumper which he said is needed at the substation substa-tion in the southeast part of the city and for a 4-wheel drive vehicle lo serve the east bench, costing a total of $38,500. |