Members of the Plymouth Common Council had their first opportunity to ask questions to city department heads and Mayor Mark Senter on the 2016 budget.
A budget workshop was held Monday evening allowing Mayor Senter to present next year’s budget which has a bottom-line of $12,549,509. The proposed budget is an increase of 2.79 percent from the 2015 budget and includes an across the board salary increase of 2 percent.
Although Clerk Treasurer Jeanine Xaver asked department heads to include a 30 percent increase for insurance and a 2 percent salary increase, many of the department held their bottom-line or even had a decrease from this year’s budget.
The Financial Board and Clerk Treasurer’s proposed budget for 2016 is $90,894, a 7.63% reduction from this year. A portion of this budget includes personal and operating expenses for the clerk’s office, $1,800 set aside for Memorial Day; $10,000 for consultants and legal fees, $345,000 for insurance, $211,150 for hydrant rentals, and $40,000 for the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation contact.
Mayor Senter’s budget for next year is $199,245 which is $12,258 less that this year. In his budget is $68,000 for the promotion of the city. These funds are designated with $5,000 each to Encore Performing Arts, Heartland Artist, and Ancilla College towards a second dorm. Additional money goes to the Boys and Girls Club in the amount of $35,000; $2,000 for the Yellow River Festival, $1,000 to the Mayor’s Youth Council; $8,000 to the Heminger House Shelter and $7,000 of discretionary spending.
Other departments who have lower budgets next year in the general fund include the Engineering Department which is 1.16% lower at $63,664 and City Properties and Maintenance a 10.37% reduction bring the proposed 2016 budget to $294,000. The city’s Police Pension fund dropped by 4.31% to $265,057.
City departments which remained steady between 2015 and 2016 are the Storm Sewer at $177,000; City Lights & Power at $256,000 and Animal Welfare at $30,000. In the Pension Funds the Fire pension remained the same at $68,368.
City departments that have increases to their budgets for next year include the law Department with a 7.44% increase with all of the increase being in personal services for salaries, longevity, social security, health insurance and PERF. City Garage and Warehouse has an increase of 3.64% with $200 of it being for employee drug testing and the remainder in personal services.
The Building Commissioner has a 6.63% increase in his 2016 budget making the bottom line $142,487. The increase comes in personal services. Fire Chief Rod Miller has an increase of 7.10% in his budget. Besides the 2% increase for salaries and a 30% increase for insurance he has capital outlays. The chief will purchase a new 12 lead heart monitor for $32,000; three air packs for $19,000; 8 new 800 MHz portable radios for $28,000 and a commercial washing machine for $7,500. His budget for 2016 is $1,773,824.
The police department also has an increase for next year of 7.27% bring his bottom line to $2,675,817. Along with the increase for salaries and insurance Chief Dave Bacon included $35,600 for 2 mobile 800 MHz radios and 8 portable 800 MHz radios with lapel mics. Although not in the general fund budget, the police department has budgeted $97,500 for 2 new squad cars and 1 SUV with equipment and graphics from the casino/riverboat money.
The city’s Sanitation Department is the final General Fund budget with an increase. Proposed is a 3.56% increase which translates to a 2% salary increase and 30% insurance increase along with an additional $20,000 increase for the garbage contract bringing it to $550,000.
The City Council will have first reading of the 2016 budget at one of their August meetings.
