Bellevue sets
$1.1 million city
budget
By GREGORY
FOLEY
Express Staff Writer
Bellevue
city officials have proposed a more than $1.1 million city budget for
the 2002-2003 fiscal year.
The
proposal will be the topic of a public hearing before Bellevue City
Council members on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. in Bellevue City Hall.
Dee
Barton, Bellevue city clerk, said council members will seek to sign an
ordinance to officially enact the budget at the meeting Thursday.
The
proposed budget—which in July and August was the subject of numerous
public discussions among council members—has been set at $1,174,230
for the upcoming fiscal year, which will start Oct. 1 and end Sept. 30,
2003.
Proposed
budget expenditures—which are balanced by an equal amount of projected
revenues—are down slightly from the current fiscal year budget, which
was set at $1,225, 702.
However,
the city’s General Fund—which is used to pay city expenses outside
of providing water and sewer services—is projected to increase to
roughly $636,000 from $609,000 this year.
Several
increases in spending have been proposed through the 2002-2003 General
Fund. The fund aims to allocate roughly $196,000 to the city marshal (up
$11,000 from this year), $123,000 to streets (up $7,000), $38,000 to
planning and zoning (up $3,000), and $168,000 to cover administrative
expenses (up $7,000).
Proposed
expenses for the fire department are set at roughly $33,000, down
slightly from this year’s fire budget of $34,000.
Projected
revenues for the water and sewer funds have been set at $254,000 and
$283,000 respectively. The numbers were calculated in part by estimating
income from user fees for the services, which are currently proposed to
remain at $15.75 per month for water and $17.75 per month for sewer.
(Other
fees, such as hookup fees, cap fees, and inspection fees, also account
for revenue for the water and sewer funds, but to a lesser extent than
user fees.)
To review
copies of the proposed city budget prior to the public hearing go to
Bellevue City Hall during regular business hours today and Thursday.