Friday, July 5, 2013

Hailey mulls over $4.5 million budget

Salary raises planned for some city staff


By TONY EVANS
Express Staff Writer

    Hailey Mayor Fritz Haemmerle presented a preliminary budget Monday for fiscal year 2014 that would include a 2.5 percent pay raise for some city employees, the first pay raise in four years. The general fund budget and expenses are slated to increase $60,000 over last year to a total of just over $4,514,300.
    City Treasurer Becky Stokes estimated an increase of general fund revenue of $141,000 over last year, which was decreased by an unexpected $84,000 January increase in health insurance premiums through the city’s III-A self-insurance pool.
    Haemmerle said he would continue to prioritize funding for the Parks Department, which in 2013 received a $35,000 staff salary spending increase, made possible by a decrease in the same amount of funding of the Streets Department. The proposed city budget would also continue funding a new library position that was instated last year.
    The new budget would include a four-year lease-purchase agreement for three police cars, and increase spending by $7,000 for equipment leasing for the Streets Department.
    The proposed budget would also provide $15,000 for parks playground equipment, $80,000 for sidewalk improvements between the Wood River Middle School and state Highway 75, and about $12,000 for a street-crossing light.
    A memo presented by Haemmerle Monday reported that a 2.5 percent increase in staff salaries across the board would result in an increase in spending of $50,000 in fiscal 2014. Haemmerle said the pay raises would not necessarily extend to “high paid” administrative positions.
    “This would be more for low-pay workers,” he said.
    In 2014, the city will no longer conduct about $3,500 in bookkeeping duties for the Blaine County Housing Authority.
    Mountain Rides public transportation service would see a $3,000 increase in funding.
“Public transportation is important,” Haemmerle said.
Haemmerle said $38,000 in collected development-impact fees would be spent during the next three years on the design of a new police station.
    Haemmerle said $78,000 in development-impact fees would be used at some point in the future to purchase new turnout gear and equipment for the Hailey Fire Department.
    Under the new budget, the city would expect a capital fund balance of $735,620 at the end of fiscal year 2014.
    “The capital fund needs to be replenished,” Haemmerle said. “We have streets that are in sad shape.”
    The capital fund is funded by development-impact fees, annexation fees, capital bonds, grants and donations.
    The budget is set to be tentatively adopted by the City Council on July 15, and finalized after a public hearing on Aug. 26.




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