Commissioners praise “lean” city budget but have minor tweaks planned

“It has now become your budget,” Campbell told commissioners. “And so anything that we do in these workshops is really just discussion and consensus building.”

The proposed budget using the same property tax millage as last year, reduces the city workforce by 17 full-time equivalent positions — largely unfilled vacancies — and holds operating reserves steady while funding all existing programs.

“It's a pretty conservative approach to the staffing for this upcoming year. No new positions added, with the exception of the three positions in fire (department) that the city commission added mid-year,” Campbell said.

“We did not utilize all of that in this proposed budget,” Campbell noted, explaining the resulting surplus.

“Just funding the new firefighters is $700,000 … Workman’s Comp increases were $170,000 … Health insurance … almost $300,000,” she said.

“Whether we get the grant or not, I think we need to buy that equipment,” Minshew said, referring to diesel exhaust removal systems at the 14th Street fire station. “Our employees deserve better.”

Tuten went further: “We can protect ourselves more with air quality and water quality monitoring … It's something we don’t put a price tag on until we suffer it later.”

The marina’s deficit, at $674,659, is largely driven by capital costs, debt service, and insurance.

“That’s … a million dollars a year that we’re subsidizing,” Antun said. “If the commission ought to just cut costs, those are your two biggest low-hanging fruits right there.”

Commissioners Poynter and Minshew favor implementing a paid parking program downtown that would be projected to raise $2 million annually in order to fund downtown improvements.

Minshew concurred: “Thank you for this level of detail … I’m comfortable with this budget and don’t really have any major recommendations or changes.”