Council passes budget
l$14.8M Budget includes 2.75% raises for city employees, $1.8M in emergency reserves
Brendan Hoover
The Mustang City Council last Tuesday unanimously approved its 2007-08 fiscal year general operating fund budget in the amount of $14.8 million, a 8.8 percent increase from one fiscal year ago.
The Council voted 6-0 to approve the budget after a public hearing during which no one rose to speak. Mayor Jeff Landrith was absent from the meeting and did not cast a vote.
The budget in its final form contained only minor changes from a draft version that all seven Council members agreed to during budget work sessions in May.
Finance Director Brenda Wright said during those sessions that the city’s largest single revenue source, sales tax, is expected to increase this fiscal year by about seven percent, to $6.4 million. That figure could be negatively influenced by decreased consumer spending during an election year, or positively influenced by the addition of a major retailer to the city, she said.
One budget change will give full-time non-union city employees a 2.75 percent cost of living raise. Wright also informed the Council of an adjustment to the non-union employee wage scale, where the nine lowest ranges would be dropped, and nine new ranges would be added to the end of the scale.
The Mustang Fraternal Order of Police has also signed a new contract with the city, giving officers an identical cost of living pay increase.
The budget also includes a $1.8 million reserve Wright said she added in response to a warning from Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s office that excess funds could not be spent without first being appropriated.
“They are interpreting the law to say that you cannot spend any money that was not budgeted by July 1,” Wright said.
Wright said she calculated what she thought the city’s reserves would be for the coming fiscal year and designated it a “reserve for emergencies,” covering anything from grants received to matching funds to unforeseen expenses. The reserve cannot be touched without the Council’s supplemental approval, and city staff does not intend to spend the money, she said.
Wright went on to say that by approving the budget, the Council gives its consent to over two million dollars in capital projects this coming fiscal year, including $450,000 in road improvements, a $250,000 sewer line installation, three new fire department vehicles approved by voters last December and the paving of the road into Wild Horse park from SW 59th St., a resident priority.
“That is a huge step from where we were five years ago,” she said.
A breakdown of the Mustang 2007-08 fiscal year general operating fund budget includes the following:
Mayor and Council - $176,100:
This fund includes $10,000 to fund the Mustang Chamber of Commerce, a move the Council questioned but City Manager David Cockrell calls an investment in the city. This fund also pays engineering and city attorney fees.
City Manager - $481,347:
This fund pays the salaries for four full-time employees, including the city manager, city clerk, deputy city clerk and human resources director.
Library - $376,910:
This fund pays the salaries of seven employees, three full-time and four part-time. Wright said this fund is also used to replace books that were not returned, and for the summer reading program and cultural events, all paid for by donations.
Parks and Recreation - $719,739:
This fund pays the salaries of six full-time employees and several part-time employees. The fund also includes $8,000 for a new brick “Welcome to Mustang” sign, $6,300 to pay part-time personal trainers at Town Center, who would potentially make more than that back, and $3,000 for playground equipment repairs at the city’s parks.
General Government – approximately $2 million:
This fund pays for general operating fees and services, including electricity for wells and pump stations, $200,000 for water purchases from Oklahoma City, and membership fees for the Central Oklahoma Water Resource Authority. The fund will also pay $20,000 for new water meter reading handheld devices and software, $55,000 for a water quality study, $88,000 for a point repair program on the sewer lines and $100,000 to start a program to install back up generators on the city’s lift stations.
Town Center - $227,598:
This fund pays for general operating expenses for the facility.
Ball complexes - $271,745:
The fund pays chiefly for electricity fees, concession stand costs and grounds maintenance.
Aquatics - $175,825:
The fund pays for general operating expenses for the facility. Parks and Recreation Director Justin Battles asked for $3,000 to replace three large umbrellas.
Finance - $368,855:
This fund pays for the general operating expenses of the department.
Community Development - $455,220:
This fund pays salaries for six full-time employees, one part-time employee and the department’s vehicles. The department is responsible for city code enforcement.
Police - $2.18 million:
This fund pays salaries for 19 officers, plus dispatchers and administrative positions. The fund also includes money to buy three patrol cars, a new intoxilyzer machine, and $11,900 for a speed-monitoring trailer.
Fire - $2.19 million:
This fund pays salaries for 15 firefighters, plus $927,000 for three new fire vehicles approved at last December’s general obligation bond election.
Streets - $573,835:
Wright said this fund has been increased by $222,000 per Council’s request, and the Mustang Improvement Authority will fund $97,000, which makes up the franchise fees from the sanitation fees the city is paid. Street projects are planned for Rancho, Lariat, Chuckwagon and Kentuck. Cockrell also told the Council at the budget work sessions that he recommends going for general obligation bonds to pay for future repairs to SW 89th St. and Czech Hall Road.
l$14.8M Budget includes 2.75% raises for city employees, $1.8M in emergency reserves
Brendan Hoover
The Mustang City Council last Tuesday unanimously approved its 2007-08 fiscal year general operating fund budget in the amount of $14.8 million, a 8.8 percent increase from one fiscal year ago.
The Council voted 6-0 to approve the budget after a public hearing during which no one rose to speak. Mayor Jeff Landrith was absent from the meeting and did not cast a vote.
The budget in its final form contained only minor changes from a draft version that all seven Council members agreed to during budget work sessions in May.
Finance Director Brenda Wright said during those sessions that the city’s largest single revenue source, sales tax, is expected to increase this fiscal year by about seven percent, to $6.4 million. That figure could be negatively influenced by decreased consumer spending during an election year, or positively influenced by the addition of a major retailer to the city, she said.
One budget change will give full-time non-union city employees a 2.75 percent cost of living raise. Wright also informed the Council of an adjustment to the non-union employee wage scale, where the nine lowest ranges would be dropped, and nine new ranges would be added to the end of the scale.
The Mustang Fraternal Order of Police has also signed a new contract with the city, giving officers an identical cost of living pay increase.
The budget also includes a $1.8 million reserve Wright said she added in response to a warning from Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson’s office that excess funds could not be spent without first being appropriated.
“They are interpreting the law to say that you cannot spend any money that was not budgeted by July 1,” Wright said.
Wright said she calculated what she thought the city’s reserves would be for the coming fiscal year and designated it a “reserve for emergencies,” covering anything from grants received to matching funds to unforeseen expenses. The reserve cannot be touched without the Council’s supplemental approval, and city staff does not intend to spend the money, she said.
Wright went on to say that by approving the budget, the Council gives its consent to over two million dollars in capital projects this coming fiscal year, including $450,000 in road improvements, a $250,000 sewer line installation, three new fire department vehicles approved by voters last December and the paving of the road into Wild Horse park from SW 59th St., a resident priority.
“That is a huge step from where we were five years ago,” she said.
A breakdown of the Mustang 2007-08 fiscal year general operating fund budget includes the following:
Mayor and Council - $176,100:
This fund includes $10,000 to fund the Mustang Chamber of Commerce, a move the Council questioned but City Manager David Cockrell calls an investment in the city. This fund also pays engineering and city attorney fees.
City Manager - $481,347:
This fund pays the salaries for four full-time employees, including the city manager, city clerk, deputy city clerk and human resources director.
Library - $376,910:
This fund pays the salaries of seven employees, three full-time and four part-time. Wright said this fund is also used to replace books that were not returned, and for the summer reading program and cultural events, all paid for by donations.
Parks and Recreation - $719,739:
This fund pays the salaries of six full-time employees and several part-time employees. The fund also includes $8,000 for a new brick “Welcome to Mustang” sign, $6,300 to pay part-time personal trainers at Town Center, who would potentially make more than that back, and $3,000 for playground equipment repairs at the city’s parks.
General Government – approximately $2 million:
This fund pays for general operating fees and services, including electricity for wells and pump stations, $200,000 for water purchases from Oklahoma City, and membership fees for the Central Oklahoma Water Resource Authority. The fund will also pay $20,000 for new water meter reading handheld devices and software, $55,000 for a water quality study, $88,000 for a point repair program on the sewer lines and $100,000 to start a program to install back up generators on the city’s lift stations.
Town Center - $227,598:
This fund pays for general operating expenses for the facility.
Ball complexes - $271,745:
The fund pays chiefly for electricity fees, concession stand costs and grounds maintenance.
Aquatics - $175,825:
The fund pays for general operating expenses for the facility. Parks and Recreation Director Justin Battles asked for $3,000 to replace three large umbrellas.
Finance - $368,855:
This fund pays for the general operating expenses of the department.
Community Development - $455,220:
This fund pays salaries for six full-time employees, one part-time employee and the department’s vehicles. The department is responsible for city code enforcement.
Police - $2.18 million:
This fund pays salaries for 19 officers, plus dispatchers and administrative positions. The fund also includes money to buy three patrol cars, a new intoxilyzer machine, and $11,900 for a speed-monitoring trailer.
Fire - $2.19 million:
This fund pays salaries for 15 firefighters, plus $927,000 for three new fire vehicles approved at last December’s general obligation bond election.
Streets - $573,835:
Wright said this fund has been increased by $222,000 per Council’s request, and the Mustang Improvement Authority will fund $97,000, which makes up the franchise fees from the sanitation fees the city is paid. Street projects are planned for Rancho, Lariat, Chuckwagon and Kentuck. Cockrell also told the Council at the budget work sessions that he recommends going for general obligation bonds to pay for future repairs to SW 89th St. and Czech Hall Road.
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