12-03-1990 Council Minutes Budget Hearing

Home Browse Search

ORONO BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING MEETING HELD DECEMBER 3, 1990 expenditure is after six months. The personal services, for • example, if 500 of what is requested were adopted and 50% deferred until June, that would save about $45,000. If 50% of capital expenditures, including automobile purchases, were adopted now and 50% deferred, we would save between $20,000 and $30,000. By saving, I don't mean that the expenditure would not occur, but that it occur when the City knows it can afford it. With the uncertainties that exist now, the City does not know that. The capital expenditures, such as $5,000 for a water fountain I think would probably be eliminated. The budget shows $560,000 for a bridge across somewhere on Old Crystal Bay Road. It indicates that those funds will come from the State and they are not really taxpayer funds. Wrong, they are taxpayer funds. I think it is irresponsible for the City to make an expenditure of that nature just because someone made the money available. That money is coming from somewhere, partly from us. I also think it would be irresponsible to undertake such a large project without knowing where Highway 12 is going and what impact that may have on the bridge. I would suggest that project be deferred." Acting Mayor Callahan stated that the City does not spend everything on January first. He said, "On the revenue side of the matter, we don't get the first half tax revenues until July and the second half until the end of the year. The law requires us to establish the budget now and establish the portion of the taxes that are to be collected. We cannot do it any other way • because there would be no way to get it on the tax statement. The bridge is getting older and needs to be repaired. There are also a number of road improvements that must be considered. These types of improvements are usually included in a long -term plan or forecast. The construction of the bridge would not begin without further hearings to determine whether the project should proceed. An item such as the bridge becomes part of the budget because the long -range forecast indicates that this is the year we should consider such an improvement. The City does monitor expenditures, even though we may have something in the budget. In fact any item costing more that $1,500 is brought before the Council for consideration." Ms. Jan Kellar, 1223 Arbor Street, asked about a budget amount of $5,900 for a special levy /sewer assessment for the City building. Bernhardson replied, "That is the City's share of the Crystal Bay sewer for the government building. We were assessed $3,000 as part of that project (for 1991). The other part is the portion of that special assessment that we pay for an improvement on Woodhill Avenue." Mr. Wilbur Anderson, Frederick Street, asked if this budget included anything for a new city facility. • 9 -