The Winslow City Council met June 28 and approved a tentative budget of $22,372,509, down approximately $1.5 million from the current fiscal year’s expenditure budget of $23,882,841. That is due primarily to anticipated reductions in Urban Revenue Sharing, which are projected at $854,045, down from $957,124 in fiscal year 2010-11; Highway User Revenue Funds, $117,140, down from $1,208,635; state sales tax $699,232, down from $737,844; commercial garbage fees, $419,100 down from $1,204,635; and interest income, $98,000 down from $205,000.
Also included are reductions in the general fund budget including a reduction of personnel through attrition, with the exception of one, and a reduction in operating expenses totaling $800,000. There is also a reduction of other professional services and the elimination of the Ruby Wash Diversion Levee expenses representing an overall savings of $122,793.
City Manager Jim Ferguson noted that anticipated improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and airport would be funded primarily through grants. The estimated cost of improvements to the wastewater treatment plant is $7.4 million and the cost of improvements to the airport is estimated at $7 million, with the city’s portion of the cost to be approximately 2.5 percent, or $360,000.
Capital projects that are included in the proposed budget include $1.9 million to continue work on the Route 66 Renaissance Project for continued improvements to streets and $73,000 toward airport improvements outside of the improvement in line for the grant funds.
Ferguson noted that capital equipment requests in all departments have been virtually eliminated, and that the administration is proposing that council approve setting aside a portion of the one percent sales tax for capital equipment.
