OCR Text |
Show $31.4 million budget OK'd Bountiful has 10 percent reduction since 1990-91 year, although property tax revenues will increase $28,000 from last year, due to new residential residen-tial and commercial construction within the city limits the past year," Hardy said. "The certified tax rate for the city will decrease from .001783 to .001621, but the assessed value of all properties in Bountiful will increase in-crease from $706 million to $791 million as a result of the AMAX decision and subsequent legislative changes to assessment practices approved ap-proved by the legislature this year." Hardy added that property owners in Bountiful will pay less in property tax this year to the city of SEE BUDGET ON A-3 By PALL CHALLIS News Editor BOUNTIFUL The City Council adopted the 1991-92 fiscal budget of $31.4 million after a public pub-lic hearing on the matter Wednesday Wednes-day night at city hall. The $31,481,867 budget is a $3.6 million reduction, or a 10 percent overall reduction, City Manager Tom Hardy reported to the council. ' ' It should be pointed out that the principal reason for the decrease is the completion of two major capital improvement projects in the current budget, the Pineview Hydroelectric facility and the new public works facility," Hardy added. The council approved the budget by a vote of 3-1 , with Coun-cilwoman Coun-cilwoman Renee Coon casting a negative vote because she didn't think the across the board 3 percent pay hike was needed for all employees and because she opposes a new culinary water reservoir east of Bountiful Boulevard and north of 1 800 South. Councilman Robert Gramoll was absent. The approved budget of $31,481,867 also varies from the proposed tentative budget made public in May. The total budget in May had been estimated at $31,168,787, $313,080 less than the approved total. The budget summary sum-mary points to a higher property tax revenue of $1,355,580, instead of $1,340,000 in May. Other differences differ-ences include $320,196 in miscellaneous income and $7,056,899 in intra-city revenue and reserve transfers. Both amounts are higher than they were in May's projections. Expenditures differ, with legislative expenses at $1,758,177, compared to $1,745,097 in May, a difference of $13,080. The less intra-city revenue and transfers were up from $6,756,899 in May to the approved amount of $7,056,899. The net revenues and expenditure for the 1991-92 fiscal budget are $24,424,968. "The 1991-92 budget contains no tax increases. Property taxes are proposed for the same level as last full-time police officers, seven full-time full-time dispatchers, and two clerical staff. The fire department budget of $1.5 million includes the replacement replace-ment of the city's 26-year-old aerial ladder truck. "The estimated cost of a new aerial ladder truck is $550,000," Hardy said. Highlights of the upcoming year in the enterprise fund operations include: in-clude: expansion and upgrading of the city's central electric substation for $600,000; initial work on the East Canyon hydroelectric project for $400,000; construction of a new culinary water reservoir east of Bountiful Boulevard and north of 1 800 South for $440,000, and construction con-struction of a new equipment maintenance and fertilizer and chemical storage area at the golf course for $180,000. Almost all of the money, 92 percent per-cent of the revenues generated for the business operations of the city, comes from user charges. Budget CONTINUED FROM A-l Bountiful than they did 10 years ago, "Bountiful has issued no general obligation debt, and has diversified its tax base to reduce its reliance on the property tax and has experi-i experi-i enced growth of property tax revenues due to new construction and annexation," he said. The council was also told that the city has not increased its rates, charges, or user fees for this budget. "There is no water rate increase for the seventh year in a row, no i sewer rate increase for the eighth : year in a row, no electric rate in- ' crease since last year, no sanitation rate increase for the sixth year in a row, no business license increase for the ninth year in a row and no golf course, cemetery or recreation fee increases' Hardy said. I He added the budget contains sufficient funding for all departments depart-ments to provide the same level of i service as was provided to the i citizens last year. ; 41In addition, the budget provides j for the hiring of one new police I officer for our patrol division, a fire marshal for improved fire preven- tion and inspection, and six months funding for a new police dispatcher j at our modern communications j center," he said, I The budget has a 3 percent salary j adjustment, based on a market i survey of comparable cities, for all full-time, permanent employees. On the benefit side, medical costs are increasing $60 per month for family coverage, and the increase is being shared by the city ($25 per month) and the employees ($35 per month), "A budget is comprised of j revenues (where the money come from) and expenditures (where the money goes)," Hardy said. "By law and for accounting purposes, Bountiful divides its activities and functions into two general financial divisions: those activities which are primarily paid for by taxes and those which are paid for from user charges' Taxes pay for the police, fire street and administration departments. depart-ments. The revenues and expenses for these activities are found in the general fund, capital fund and debt service fund. "Approximately $10 million of the 1991-92 budget and 107 full-time full-time employees are included in the general fund area," Hardy said. User charges include water, sewer, electric, sanitation, recreation, recrea-tion, golf course and cemetery funds. "They are known as enterprise or business funds of the city. About $15 million of the 1991-1992 budget and 63 employees are included in-cluded in these funds," he added. The general fund is partially made up of sales tax that provides 27 percent of all the revenues for this category. The second most important im-portant source is a transfer from the Light and Power Fund, which generates ge-nerates 18 percent of the revenues, while property taxes and franchise taxes add 14 and 12 percent, respectively. respec-tively. The city only receives a portion por-tion of the sales tax. The bulk of the money in the general fund is spent for three areas, streets, police and fire. The street department has $2.8 million net expenditures in the following areas: reconstruction of 1500 South from Main Street to Orchard Or-chard Drive, including the installation installa-tion of a new concrete street, $260,000; reconstruction of 400 East from 500 South to 200 South, including construction of a new concrete street, $215,000; replacement replace-ment of the street department's road grader, $110,000; final payment to the state for the Orchard Drive project, pro-ject, $283,000; completion of the city's portion of the maintenance facility, $300,000; and the annual overlay program of about 13 miles of city streets, $300,000. In the police department budget, almost alt of the $2.2 million is spent on salaries, benefits, and equipment to support the city's 30 |