City considers $5 million budget

— City officials were to consider a $5,692,717 budget for 2013 at the regular City Council meeting Tuesday night. The budget details had been discussed bycouncil members and city department heads in a special committee of the whole meeting earlier this month.

The 2012 budget was $5,507,325.

Money was saved throughout the city by changing insurance providers, according to Mayoris $533,000 up from last year’s $461,000.

The Library budget is $40,200 down from $40,800 for 2012.

“We’ve worked on a shoe string budget in the past. We thoughtJackie Crabtree.

The Police Department budget is $740,000, down from $753,900 for last year.

The Water Department budget is $1,399,700 up from last year’s $1,321,200.

The Sewer Department budgetwe could expand it a big,” librarian Peggy Maddox said.

City Park budget remained the same at $25,700. Park Commission chairman Joseph Carlson told city officials the plan is to “getthe grass back up to par” after it was “destroyed” this summer. They have also trimmed the trees and brought in topsoil and reseeded low areas.

The Street Department budget increased to$574,800 from $492,500.

Street superintendent Nathan See told council members that he plans to overlay South Davis Street this year and widen Tinnin and that he has two new salt spreaders to dealwith snow. There are seven employees in the Street Department.

The Fire Department budget rose to $278,127 from $247,935. Fire Chief Frank Rizzio was not present at the meeting.

News, Pages 1 on 11/21/2012