Show Tal Takes es Shoehorn To City Bud Budget et The Bountiful city council sat until the wee hours Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day evening trying to make a size 11 foot fit in a 9 fc 9 shoe with something left over THEIR problem was trying to find money for needs of the city during the open salvos on the annual budget They started with a balanced tentative budget Their in instructions instructions instructions in- in to City Manager Grant P. P Petersen were to that effect That wasn't the problem CITY EMPLOYEES feel they should have a six percent cost of living raise which will cost about But this amount was not left over after the money had been stretched around As the council started studying studying studying study study- ing the budget Mayor Morns Morris Morris Mor Mor- ris ns F. F pointed out it itis itis itis is difficult to find enough money to go around The budget budget et t at this point is s still tentative tentative tentative ten ten- and can be changed ITS IT'S HARD to know where whereto to trim he continued But the council has to look at the overall needs of the city w We feel we must represent all residents of the city including including including ing those who are not here tonight the mayor said The city's property tax was cut from 20 mills to 15 mills about live Jive years year ago We want to keep it there he said To Todo Todo Todo do so we had to include about in sales tax money to balance the budget last year We dont don't want to add any of this money into general general general gen gen- eral operation or we wont won't have money for the capital improvements he said REVIEWING city employee salaries the mayor pointed out the salaries are tied to fed fed- eral employees Local workers received another retroactive to December which Bountiful workers have not received This is the increase they seek Following the federal pay schedule city employees get geta a p percentage of the federal rates has been good for the city Mayor said We dont don't have to discuss individual individual individual ual salaries this way HOWEVER I do think salaries salaries salaries sal sal- aries have been going up faster than city income City Engineer Jack Balling emphasized this is not a step increase in pay but a cost of living Why should the employees employees employees em em- have to take increased cost of living on the chin We didn't create the inflation THE CITY must be realistic he continued For example water and sewer rates are the same today as before the inflation inflation inflation in in- spiral started Where could city employees go and receive the wages they get in Bountiful the mayor asked Our employees are the best paid government employees employees employees em em- in the state I FELT the city was flushed flushed flushed flush ed when I first came on the council noted Councilman Layne Forbes We lowered taxes five years ago and it seems to get harder each year to cover our needs Perhaps we will have to raise the tax levy WE MA MAY MAY have to but I dont don't want to until we have to the mayor answered Suppose we raise the tax levy one mill to pay for the cost of living raise Then next year the same thing will happen happen happen hap hap- pen again next year THE FEDERAL government is our greatest competitor noted Councilman Rod Shum- Shum oJ way Before the council started its deliberations on the budget et some in requests had been eliminated As the council went through the budget Monday evening it cut another THE DISCUSSION then turned to the in step pay raises Are these automatic It has seemed so replied the city engineer But I see themas them themas as merit increases and not increases for just working IN ANSWER to a question from Mayor Mr Balling Balling Balling Ball Ball- ing said he believes the cost of living pay is more important important important im im- im- im than the step in increases increases increases in- in creases because they help everyone By cutting out the step pay increases and with the 16 cut from the tha th budget we can meet the Mayor said THE MA MAYOR warned city employees however that if federal employees get another 6 4 percent increase in a few months Bountiful employees wont Councilmen will study the budget further We need to cut at least more the mayor told council members DATE OF the public hearing hearing hearing hear hear- ing on the budget when residents residents residents resi resi- dents will have a chance to question or approve expenditures expend expend- J. J tures was set for June 22 Most of the cuts from the tentative budget were made in some equipment travel allowances and one proposed new policeman was eliminated Chief Dean 0 O. Anderson has asked for two more |