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Show Tentative City Budget Provides Salary Increases, Staff Reductions A tentative budget of expenditures expendi-tures for the year of 1953, prepared pre-pared by City Manager Thomas Thorsen, is being considered by the Mayor and City Council in preparation for a public hearing to be held on Monday, Dec. 22. Following the hearing final adoption will be made. Although there may be some changes made before or after the public hearing, the budget as it is now set up calls for the expenditure ex-penditure of $233,905.94 during 1953, a slight increase over the budget for the current year. The budget for this year was set at $229,001.39. Expenditures by the city to the end of October, 1952, were $170,410.18, indicating that expenditures for the year will probably be under the budget provided. Principal items in the proposed budget include public safety, $-19,789; streets aid sidewalks, $29,261; general fund, 539.9G2; parks and public property, $13,-545; $13,-545; water department, $51,791. A total of $23,125 is included for bond Interest and sinking fund. The budget calls for a 5'r salary sal-ary increase for all appointive officers and employees of the city with one exception, and also provides for a reduction in the city police force. The salary increase in-crease is provided for the city i manager, members of the police I force, members of the streets and water departments, the garbage collectors and the firehouse and equipment caretaker. The sexton is the sole exception excep-tion to the salary increase. The sexton, who is charged with the care of the cemetery, city park, and ball parks east of town, receives re-ceives a monthly salary of $262, and no provision is made for any increase in this amount in the budget. A salary Increase is provided for each of the police officers. However, money is provided for only five policemen, which would mean that if the budget as now prepared is approved, one policeman police-man must be dropped from the force. At the present time the chief of police receives $288.90 a month, the assistant chief, $265, and each of the four policemen receive $240.44 per month. The tentative 1953 budget calls for a I salary of $303.00 for the chief, 278.25 for the assistant, and a salary of $252.00 for three policemen. police-men. A slight change may be made in the street and water departments, depart-ments, there are now four street department and three water department de-partment employes. The slight change proposed would divide one man's time between the two departments, giving each department depart-ment three full time men with one man spending half of his time with each. The heads of the two departments depart-ments are now each receiving $267 a month, and the 1953 budget bud-get provides for an increase to $283 per month. The five helpers each receive $230 per month and would receive the 5 increase. The fire department facility caretaker receives $214 a month and would be given a 5 increase. in-crease. Members of the volunteer fire department are paid on an actual service basis. They re-ceive re-ceive $2.00 for the first hour or (fraction thereof in answering any fire call, and $1.00 for each additional hour they remain on the job fighting fire and caring for the equipment after a run. The present salary of the city manager is , $5350, and he is scheduled to receive a 5 or $267.50 increase. This is a monthly month-ly salary of $-145.88. The brc increase in-crease would bring it up to $468.17. The budget will be further studied at meetings of the council coun-cil to be held on Dec. 15 and 18, and the public hearing on Dec. 22, and the budget will be finally approved following this meeting. |