Friday, August 17, 2012

Bellevue budget up from last year

Public hearing set for Aug. 27

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By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

The Bellevue City Council and mayor set a tentative budget Thursday for total expenses for the upcoming fiscal year of $3,436,364.

The city will spend about $160,000 more than last year, which had a budget of $3,276,527.

"I think we are in better shape than last year," said Councilwoman Janet Duffy at a City Council meeting Thursday, Aug. 9.

The city's general fund expenses will rise only $11, 717, with modest increases to the streets, library, marshal and administration departments.

The fire, parks and buildings and grounds departments will see a drop in spending.

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The largest increase in spending from last year will be for the Planning and Zoning Department, from $106,006 to $128,075.

Planning Director Craig Eckles said this increase is due to a transfer of funding from the Grounds Department to his department to help cover the $22,000 cost of clearing a channel on the west side of the Big Wood River near Riverside subdivision that was obstructed due to flooding.

All city departments were asked by Mayor Chris Koch to cut expenses by about $1,200 several weeks ago in order to balance the budget.

City Clerk Dee Barton said in an interview that the request was made in order to meet lower projections of state funding from highway appropriations and revenue sharing.

Department heads complied and the budget was set last week for a public hearing at 6 p.m. Aug. 27 at City Hall.

In other Bellevue news:

The mayor instructed staff to research the possibility of going to a franchise agreement with one company for trash hauling in the city. Eckles said the move could bring in $55,000 in revenue to the city for handling the administrative duties involved with an exclusive franchise contract.

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