By Gary Lloyd
The Trussville City Council on Tuesday approved its budget for the next fiscal year, which runs Oct. 1 through Sept. 30, 2014.
The “level” budget, as Trussville City Council President Brian Plant called it, projects $33,326,500 in revenues and the same amount in expenditures.
The Trussville Police Department projects to have the most expenditures, totaling nearly $6 million. The Trussville Fire Department is projected to have expenditures totaling $4.2 million. Trussville Parks and Recreation totals $3 million in expenditures, Streets and Sanitation totals $1.45 million, $1.31 million for garbage expense and the Trussville Public Library totals $1.11 million.
The budget shows $4.92 million going toward debt service and $2.74 million toward non-departmental costs and contracts.
The city council has passed a level budget every year of Mayor Gene Melton’s time as mayor. Melton became mayor in 1996.
“Very appreciative,” Plant said of Melton.
Trussville Mayor Gene Melton
file photo by Ron Burkett
Melton said earlier this year the city needs to be “as conservative as possible” with next year’s budget.
The city council last month met with city department leaders to talk about the budget.
Trussville Public Library Director Emily Tish said her only wish list item is adding a part-time circulation clerk so that the clerks can rotate weekends and work just one weekend per month each.
“I’m really happy with this (budget),” she said.
Inspections Department head Dan Sargent said his department is “in pretty good shape.”
Battalion Chief Tim Shotts said the Trussville Fire Department’s operational budget is “pretty good.” The department would like to have maintenance done to keep the city’s three ambulances running well. A fourth ambulance could be in the plans in the next year or two.
Trussville Parks and Recreation Director David Vinson had two top wish list items — a new vehicle for himself and new cardio equipment for the Trussville Civic Center. Vinson has driven his city SUV for 11 years. The cardio equipment in the civic center is five years old and has logged more than 8,000 miles. New cardio equipment will likely cost about $121,000.
Contact Gary Lloyd at news@trussvilletribune.com and follow him on Twitter @GaryALloyd.
