UPDATE: Trussville City Council approves balanced budget for fiscal year

From The Trussville Tribune staff reports

TRUSSVILLE — When the Trussville City Council approved the city’s $41.4 million annual budget for the upcoming fiscal year during a called meeting Friday morning, Mayor Buddy Choat gave a synopsis of new costs that played a role in city expenses increasing by $2.8 million from the previous fiscal year.

Mayor Buddy Choat

Some of the added costs to the city included a 2 percent pay increase for  city employees, a cost increase in health insurance premiums for city worker and a one-time contribution of $18,770 to the state’s retirement system that will benefit 37 city retirees.

“I’m glad we’re able to do that,” Choat said.

Choat added that the new budget also includes the costs of upgrading the city library and developing an Americans with Disabilities law transition plan that will cost the city about $100,000.

Also, Choat said city officials agreed to donate $10,000 to the Cahaba Blueway Project, a plan sponsored by the University of Alabama to promote and increase accessibility to the Cahaba River.

The city also plans to spend money during the upcoming year to upgrade Veteran’s Park, take part in a United Way Meals on Wheels program and hire additional employees for the city’s fire and police departments.

In regard to incoming revenue, City Clerk Lynn Porter said the city took in more than $31 million in its general fund during the previous fiscal year that ended Saturday. The bulk of that revenue, more than $27 million, came from local taxes.

The city also took in $9,626,000 from the state educational fund, $190,000 from the state gasoline seven cent fund, $170,000 from the state gasoline four cent fund, $170,500 from the state capital improvement fund, and $145,500 from the state correction fund.

Like in years past, Lynn said this year’s budget is balanced.

According to Porter, general fund expenditures are broken down into to following budget categories;

— Mayor and council, $362,083
—Administrative, $1,015,862
Inspections, $691,605
—Municipal Court, $344,755
—Information Technology, $308,934
—Police Department, $7,391,160
—Fire Department, $5,015,358
—Street Department, $1,843,660
—Garbage Expense, $2,020,000
—Parks and Recreation, $4,024,382
—Library, $1,287,438
—Rental Properties, $17,000
—Non-Departmental, $1,907,641
— Debt Service, $4,905,122