Wednesday, July 23, 2003
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Wednesday, July 23, 2003 |
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F'ville OKs $25.1M budget, as PTC eyes 1-mill tax increase $5.25M is for new F'ville police HQ as city plans to charge stormwater fee By JOHN MUNFORD
The Fayetteville City Council has approved a $25.188 million budget for the coming fiscal year with plans to roll back the millage rate to avoid a property tax increase if possible, depending on the county's final tax digest. The largest item in the budget, which was unanimously approved Thursday night, is $5.25 million for a new police station and municipal courthouse building. Also included are five new employees, two of which are being added for the city's new stormwater utility. The city plans to issue bills for the stormwater utility, and details about the utility are still being worked out. Fayetteville will collect its stormwater money in a separate fund that will be used for the construction, maintenance and repair of storm drainage inlets and collection and disposal systems, according to city documents. The city's budget also includes two new fire engines that will cost $486,818 according to bids approved by council Thursday night. There were no public comments on the budget, which was approved unanimously. Mayor Ken Steele noted that the 2.38 percent increase in the general fund portion of the budget compared to last year was smaller than the city's population increase of 4.03 percent. "We're getting a lot for our money," Steele said. City officials said most of the general fund increase was for the additional personnel including the two stormwater utility employees, a police officer, a public works maintenance worker and 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 Hwy. 85, said City Engineer Don Easterbrook. The cost estimate for that project is $200,000. The city also plans to spend $430,000 for sidewalks and multiuse 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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