By RICK KRON
Leader staff writer
“Right now, our 2012 proposed budget is balanced,” Sherwood Mayor Virginia Hillman said. “But we may still do some tweaking to it.”
That’s why the $19.7 million budget will be presented to the city council at its regular meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, but it won’t be voted on.
The council will also take a look at the 2012 street fund and wastewater budgets. “Those are pretty much set, but we’ll wait on voting on those, too,” the mayor explained.
The budget committee met last week and trimmed about $1 million to bring expenses even with projected revenues.
“We are still purchasing five new marked police cars, an automated trash truck and a knuckle boom truck. Those are some of our big ticket items,” she said, adding that the police department originally wanted eight new police cars.
The police cars are expected to cost about $26,000 each, while the garbage truck will cost around $200,000 and the knuckle boom, about $125,000.
Revenues for 2012 are expected to be $19.7 million, up about $600,000 from this year on the strength of higher income from the countywide sales tax.
Breaking down the $19.7 million general budget, the administrativedepartment is expecting to spend $4.4 million, down about $100,000 from this year. The police department is slated to spend $5.9 million, also down about $100,000 from this year. The hot check department is looking at a budget of $243,224, down about $4,000. The municipal court is looking at spending $671,744, down about $19,000 from this year. The senior center is looking at giving up $3,000.
Departments and areas with higher expenses this year include sanitation with a budget of $2.2 million, up almost $400,000 from this year. Parks and recreation is looking to spend $3.6 million, up about $80,000. Engineering and planning is coming in at $659,657, up $150,000 from this year. Public works is looking at spending $911,177, up $280,000 from this year. Human resources expects to spend $120,696, up almost $8,000. Computer services plans a budget of $320,800, up about $10,000 from this year. The senior center is looking at a $3,000 increase, asking for a budget of $248,435, and animal services will have a budget of $329,758, up about $17,000 from this year.
The big increase in the public works budget is an additional $250,000 added to the street-improvement funds so the city can make more repairs and overlays.
The 2012 street budget is slated at $1.8 million, up about $70,000 from this year. The wastewater utility has budgeted $1.4 million for 2012, down about $30,000 from this year, and the wastewater sales tax fund has a proposed 2012 budget of $5.3 million, up about $800,000 from this year.
Also on the council agenda:
An ordinance to update rules for collecting and enforcing the city’s two-cent advertising and promotion tax.
An ordinance adopting the advertising and promotion commission’s 2012 budget of $630,000.
An ordinance requesting the city add an additional lieutenant and a logistics-support technician in the police department, while removing a sergeant’s position.
An ordinance rezoning 11 acres of land, generally west of Brantley Ave. and north of 54th Street, from R-1 (single family homes) to R-4 (manufactured homes).
