Though 2002-03 looks like a busy year for the City of Sweet Home, its proposed budget will stay at about the same level as 2001-02.
All funds will decrease from $13,083,406 to $13,061,725.
Staff proposes the addition of a half-time accountant in the Finance Department. That position will assist a new finance director when the city fills the position. Acting Finance Director Pat Gray will fill the part-time position.
The only other personnel increase is six hours for the City Hall janitor to handle additional duties in the basement, where Public Works engineering will move, and the new City Hall annex, where municipal court and the City Council meet.
In the meantime, the City of Sweet Home is already busy this year negotiating new contracts with its general employees and its police officers and dispatchers.
Local option levies for the Police Department and the library will expire at the end of this budget cycle, and the city will ask voters for a new four-year levy in November. The local option levy is a temporary levy that has been used for decades to fund police, fire and library services. Fire services were separated from the city last year.
“We look forward to continuing the positive relationship and development climate we have created in our attempt to bring new economic opportunities to Sweet Home,” City Manager Craig Martin said in his budget message. “Among these efforts, the city will begin plans to develop an urban renewal district or districts in order to stimulate redevelopment and provide a mechanism for upgrading city facilities and infrastructure.”
Insurance costs are expected to continue rising this year, with the city budgeting a 25 percent increase for medical, vision and dental coverage for its employees.
During the 2001-02 budget year, the city experienced a 23 percent increase in those costs.
In 1992-93, the city insured 51 employees at annual average cost of $4,011 per employee. Nearly 10 years, later, during 2000-01, the city insured 59 employees at an average annual cost of $6,514 each.
“In the absence of global changes to the health care field, the city will be exploring options to minimize the continuing increases in medical insurance for its employees,” Martin said.
During the city budget committee’s first meeting Thursday night, Jean McKinney was re-elected as chairman. Jessica Coward was re-elected as vice chairman.
The budget committee includes Mayor Craig Fentiman; councilmen Jim Bean, Robert G. Danielson, James Gourley, Richard Hill, Robert McIntire and Timothy McQueary; and citizen members Paul Christman, Coward, Alan Culver, McKinney, Russell Peters, Howard Philipson and Elmer Riemer.
The budget committee next meets at 6:30 p.m. on May 7 in the City Hall Annex. The committee will begin hearing presentations on funds in the budget.