Proposed budget would keep property tax level in Centerville

The city’s property tax rate will not increase if City Council members approve the proposed city budget.

A plan presented to the council Tuesday keeps the city’s millage rate at 11.972 mils, the same as the current fiscal year that ends June 30, said Carol Harrison, city accountant.

Harrison said the proposed spending plan anticipates $8,051,537 in revenue with $8,176,439 in expenses. She said the $124,902 difference will be made up in rollover surplus funds from the current budget.

The proposed fiscal 2017 budget includes money for three new city employees: one in the police department, one in the street department and one in the water and sewer department. An additional part-time employee also is budgeted for the city’s finance department.

The budget includes a 3-percent cost-of-living pay increase for employees.

Also in the budget is $50,000 in contingency in the city’s general fund for use in case of emergencies and another $50,000 in the water and sewer fund for emergencies.

Harrison said that if the budget is approved, taxes on a $100,000 home would be $478.88. However, she said if the valuation of properties are changed up or down by county officials, an individual’s tax bill could change proportionally.

Harrison said copies of the budget are available at City Hall for the public to view.

Mayor John Harley said there will be a public budget hearing at the council’s June 21 work session prior to a final vote.

Also at its Tuesday meeting, the council moved toward building a consolidated city works facility on property it owns on Elberta Road.

Council members unanimously approved signing a contract with David Selby/WM2A Architects Inc. for work toward the facility. Mike Brumfield, the city’s director of operations and head of the utilities department, said the project will cost the city about $1.2 million, with architects receiving 8 percent of the project’s costs.

Harley lauded the step toward creating the facility, saying city equipment and vehicles are now kept at several inadequate facilities, some that are little more than sheds. He said vehicles were kept near city wells, which posed a potential health threat and caused the city to be written up during audits. He said a building at the new site would solve those problems.

In other matters Tuesday, the council:

▪  Approved a plan for the police department to trade its 21 current .40-caliber side arms for 21 9mm side arms at a total exchange cost of $2,100, police Chief Ronald Rodgers said. The move saves ammunition costs and will allow officers to train, be tested and re-certified on weapons four times a year rather than once a year as is the current practice, he said. It also will bring officers in line with other area law enforcement agencies and facilitate the exchange of ammunition should that become necessary in an emergency.

▪  Tabled action to buy a new police vehicle for a new department employee until further details about new personnel, position changes and vehicle statuses can be reviewed by council members.

▪  Made changes to an ordinance, primarily giving city fire officials the right to charge for repeat fire safety inspections after requirements from previous inspections have not been met.

▪  Made changes to an ordinance allowing city building officials to require that a permit for roof replacement and repairs not be given unless there is proof that a Centerville solid waste disposal container has been obtained to haul off waste.

This story was originally published June 8, 2016 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Proposed budget would keep property tax level in Centerville."