City council gives initial OK to proposed $53.5 million FY 2017-18 budget
Mayor Dick Heaton comments on the city’s proposed FY 2017-18 budget at the council’s special noontime meeting on Monday, June 26, 2017.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Monday, June 26, 2017, 3 p.m. — In a special-called noon meeting, the Bardstown City Council approved first reading of the proposed fiscal year 2017-18 budget.
The city’s budget is $4.7 million higher than last year’s budget, and for the first time, the city’s overall budget has surpassed $50 million. The council will give final approval to the proposed $53.5 million budget at its meeting Tuesday night.
Councilman Joe Buckman reviews the budget ordinance while it was read by City Attorney Tim Butler.
Mayor Dick Heaton explained that two capital projects in the budget are responsible for roughly 80 percent of the increase from last year. Those projects include a $2.8 million upgrade of the Rowan Creek sewer line that goes to the Gilkey Run sewer plant. The line serves the eastern portions of the city, including the Nelson County Industrial Park, and ongoing growth in the area makes a larger line necessary, Heaton said.
The second project will convert the city’s water plant from to use chloramine for treating the city’s drinking water. The $1 million conversion will reduce disinfection byproducts in the water, and make the city’s treated water compatible with water treated by the Louisville Water Co.
Heaton explained that over the last week, the budget had been further tightened and cuts were made. For example, a mobile fire tower sought by the city fire department was cut from the budget.
The changes in the budget will allow the city to raise its planned across-the-board pay raises from 2 percent to a full 3 percent.
The budget also includes adding additional staff, Heaton said. The budget includes five new full-time positions and 1 part-time position.
One of the proposed budget’s most unique aspects is the fact that it requires no transfers from the city’s utility reserves to help fund the city’s general fund. The city’s occupational tax has provided sufficient funding to eliminate the transfers.
The change means that the city utilities will have more working capital on hand for upgrade projects or repairs, Heaton said.
NO CHANGES TO CITY FIRE, POLICE INSURANCE. Since approximately 2005, the city has paid a greater share of the health insurance costs for city police and firefighters. The move was devised years ago as a way to give firefighters and police officers additional compensation and avoid that compensation being lost to an accompanying increase in hazardous duty retirement.
The lower insurance costs for police and fire have become a defacto part of the their departments’ compensation package. Fire Chief Randy Walker and Police Chief Steve Uram both expressed reservations about any plan that would be a financial burden to their employees.
At previous meetings, Councilman Bill Sheckles questioned the fairness of paying a greater share of police and firefighter health insurance while not doing so for other city employees. Heaton said he agreed it was a question of fairness, but there wasn’t sufficient time to study the issue. The issue would be addressed in the next year, he said.
NEXT UP. The Bardstown City Council will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 27, 2017, in the council chambers next to the Rec Center on Xavier Drive.
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