Friday, September 26, 2003

Fairburn OK's $14m budge

By LINDSAY BIANCHI
Special to The Citizen

"I just think this is pie in the sky." Councilman Harvey Melear said of Fairburn's 2003-04 proposed $14.5 million budget Monday night. "I don't think we as a city are going to bring in $14 million."

At the other end of the spectrum, Councilman Roy Farr, who voted on his 34th budget that evening, said, "I'm proud of it and I'm proud of the city and the staff."

It was City Administrator Jim Williams' job to present the stack of figures to the Council.

"We feel the budget covers the basic things we need to work on," he said.

The largest chunks of this year's budget come from local option sales tax at $1 million; cable television and Internet funds at $2.13 million; and total user fees, including water service taps and sewers, at $2.3 million.

Expenditures such as animal control more than doubled from last year to $13,000 compared to $6,330. Total police salaries and operations clocks in at just over $2 million. Jail expenses of $200,000 top the operations list. The fire department, in contrast, is quoted at $271,000. Public works, including street maintenance and landscaping, will cost the city $1.1 million.

With the many services the city provides, next year's budget was seen as conservative by most council members. The proposal passed with everyone's approval except Melear's. The new budget goes into effect Oct. 1.