SEAFORD – The city of Seaford has a new budget in place.
Unanimously adopted by council June 9, the fiscal year 2010 budget totals approximately $26.8 million – about $30 million counting internal transfers – and will address the city’s needs in extremely challenging economic times.
Tentatively imbedded is a one-cent hike in property tax that will generate $75,070 in budget-balancing revenue. However, that tax increase from $.265 to $.275 per $100 assessed value based on 2008 market values from the citywide reassessment is subject to change, pending tax appeals.
“Once the tax appeals are concluded at the next council meeting (June 23) hopefully we will have the firm number,” said City Manager Dolores Slatcher. “To balance this budget right now with no other changes, it is a penny increase.”
The FY10 budget is down about $1 million from the FY09 budget, due in large part of capital reduction.
Under the revenue side of the budget, water and sewer rates will remain the same while electric rates will increase slightly, three-tenths of one cent. All other fees and rates will not change from FY09, Mrs. Slatcher said.
The decision by city council earlier this spring to close the community swimming pool realized a savings of approximately $70,000, Mrs. Slatcher said.
Budget expenditures will support average 3.5 percent pay raises for the city’s general employees, while wage adjustments for the police department are based on its contract. Of the city’s 83 full-time employees, 38 are in the police department.
City staff was reduced by one employee; an electric department vacancy in 2009 was not filled.
Mrs. Slatcher said the budget was formulated through a series of workshops, adding that some much-needed items or projects ultimately had to be eliminated.
“The staff did an excellent job of making cuts. And at the mayor and council level we had to make more cuts,” Mrs. Slatcher said. “There were things that really needed to be done but we took these out to balance the budget.”
“We’re going to work with what we have and hope that the economy turns around and we can do some of this necessary work next year,” said Mrs. Slatcher.
News Editor Glenn Rolfe can be reached at 629-5505 or grolfe@newszap.com.
Click on “Reply” to express your views about this story.
Current time is 02:23 am
Click here to read our Policies & Disclaimers.
Click here to go to the Newszap.com home page
