Budget amendment for McLendon Chisholm approved

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June 17, 2009

Revenue down 39 percent from original projection

Leslie Gibson The Zope Gazette Wed Jun 17, 2009, 01:41 PM CDT

MCLENDON-CHISHOLM—Revenue for this town of less than 2,000 people, which levies no property tax, has been projected down to $129,000 for fiscal year 2008-09 as approved in a budget amendment Tuesday.

In five revenue streams, decreases range from 100 percent to 10 percent. That sets up a total revenue reduction of 39.5 percent less than that projected in the original approved budget.

Those revenue sources are not expected to be back up enough to set up a balanced budget next fiscal year, either, and the council’s discussion on both the budget amendments and on the next fiscal year’s draft budget were much the same.

In the meantime, for 2008-09, the council cut expenses by 14 percent, leaving an expected deficit of $113,255.84 to end this fiscal year.

Revenue was adjusted down from $100,000 to $0 in the category “development income (filing).”

Building permits income has been cut by 60 percent, from $100,000 to $40,000.

Septic fees are down 68 percent, from $13,500 to $4,300 expected revenue.

Interest income had been predicted at $5,000. It is now projected to be $800, an 84 percent drop.

Sales tax revenue is expected to be 10 percent less than originally forecast.

Council discussed every dollar throughout the deliberations for the amendment, and for the draft budget for 2009-10, relying on city secretary Deborah Sorensen for figures and city manager Dave Butler for background.

For this fiscal year, the category “operating expenditures” was cut by more than half, much due to cutting out the community function, Spring Fest.

However, for next fiscal year, $2,000 is budgeted for the function. Council supported new member Gary Moody who said, “It is vitally important that we have a sense of community,” and to “focus on the good times”. He is convinced that the community will help fund it, and volunteered to lead the efforts next year. “I’m passionate about it. I think we can do it,” he said.

In the meantime, though, it was canceled, in spite of the similar exhortations by the incumbent who lost her place on council, Beverly Stibbens.

Also in operating expenditures, the expenses associated with septic permits were cut by 59 percent, which corresponds with the 68 percent decrease on the revenue side of the same.

Council cut total operating expenditures by 18 percent.

They cut general and administrative expenses by 4 percent, including cutting in half expenses associated with training, meetings, and mileage.

Also in that category, expenses for legal and professional services were reduced by about $1,000.

Under capital expenditures, road repairs had to go up to $17,500 from $10,000.

An example of the detailed discussion council has had in three different consecutive meetings on how to cut expenses, not just this fiscal year, but next year too, involved whether or not to hire a temporary to fill in when the city secretary takes two weeks for vacation.

It had been budgeted for $2,000 originally, and the city in the past has paid a part-time person $10 an hour, “that person having been with us a long time,” Butler had said in the May 26 meeting at which the budget amendment was detailed. The vote puts it at $352 for this year, having already been spent.

Newly elected council members Jess Lovell and Gary Moody noted that the city administrator could schedule hours to cover part of the time, and be available by cell phone when not at the city hall, with Lovell again supporting the concept in the June 9 meeting.

All agreed volunteer help is not the way to go.

Postage was increased from $1,000 to $1,900 in order to be able to send out at least two more mailings to the community this fiscal year, as well as accommodate those so far, with all council members stating in several meetings the importance of communication.

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