Wednesday, June 25, 2003
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Wednesday, June 25, 2003 |
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F'ville may borrow $5.25 million for police HQ By JOHN MUNFORD
Fayetteville city officials have recommended a $25.1 million budget to the city council, which is scheduled to vote on the matter at its next meeting, Thursday, July 17. The budget includes $5.25 million for a new police station/municipal courthouse building, although construction may not begin until the end of the fiscal year if not the following year, according to City Engineer Don Easterbrook. The new building represents over half of the $8.11 million capital improvements budget, which also includes two new fire engines at $480,000. The building and engines will be purchased through loans so the city doesn't have to pay the full tab up front, according to city officials. Mayor Ken Steele said he felt the budget was aggressive in funds for long-term capital projects but more conservative in funding day-to-day government operations. The total budget of $25.1 million "sounds like an awful lot of money," Steele conceded. There were no public comments on the proposed budget. Fayetteville's proposed general fund budget of $8.728 million is an increase of 2.38 percent from last year, mostly due to the addition of two staffers in the budget: a police officer and a public works maintenance worker to relieve increasing work loads. Finance Director Lynn Robinson said the general fund increase was less than the city's population growth of 4.03 percent from the previous year. Robinson told council Thursday night that she recommends the millage rate be left at 3.11 mills and once the county's tax digest comes back the millage rate could possibly be reduced, depending on the final numbers. City officials are recommending the creation of three new positions in the city's water and sewer department, which will take over a new storm water management program. Two of the three water and sewer employees are necessary for the new program, according to staff: a GIS coordinator and a customer service representative. The third position proposed by city staff is for a maintenance worker for the city's wastewater plant. Other capital projects planned for the coming fiscal year include traffic improvement projects. One project, at the intersection of Ga. Highways 85 and 314 along with North Jeff Davis Drive, will create an additional turn lane so vehicles heading north on Jeff Davis will be able to have their own dedicated lane. Currently, those vehicles must share the lane with vehicles wishing to turn left onto Ga. Highway 85, Easterbrook said. The cost estimate for that project is $200,000. The city also budgets $430,000 for sidewalks and multi-use trails. That figure will meet most of the city's top two priority locations for the improvements: the downtown area and heavy residential and school areas, Easterbrook said.
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