The city of Meridian has managed to pass its FY2011 budget without raising property taxes and without much delay, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing for the rest of the fiscal year, according to Finance and Records Director Ed Skipper.

    “There are so many variables right now,” said Skipper. “You always have the variables, and you don’t know if what you’re projecting is actually going to be.”

    Those variables — parts of the budget that were estimated and could change — include which waste contract the city chooses and how the county sets its tax rate, among many other things.

    Skipper said the sheer number of variables makes it virtually impossible to accurately predict the city’s income and expenses over the course of a year. He said the ad valorem tax rate is set in stone for the remainder of the year, but other parts of the budget could change, and this year’s budget could affect next year’s tax rate.

    Last year, the city dealt with a drop in sales tax revenue by making cuts to the budget, including layoffs and furloughs. Skipper said other ways of dealing with a decline in revenue or increase in expenses include raising fees, such as the $12 a month fee charged to residents for garbage pick-up.

     FY2011’s general fund (the city’s main operating fund) budget has been approved at $34,449,685, roughly $400,000 over FY2010. Both revenues and expenditures are expected to increase by the same amount. For a look at the overall budget, see the box accompanying this story.

Meeting Minutes

    • The law firm of Glover, Young, Walton, and Simmons was appointed to represent the city, with Attorney Ronnie Walton present at the meeting. Bill Ready, Sr. will no longer serve as city attorney.

    • The council approved a 25 day extension on the 29th Avenue bridge replacement contract. Public Works Director Monty Jackson said the delay is due to problems with the sanitary sewer line that took an extra week to resolve.

    • The portion of Fifth Street from 18th Avenue to 26th Avenue was given the commemorative overlay name Main Street.

    • The council approved the use of Community Development Block Grant funds for improvements to the city’s’ wastewater treatment plant.

 

Meridian’s FY2011 budget

General Fund Expenditures:

    General Government – $3,846,939

    Finance and Records – $3,200,843

    Community Development – $1,830,009

    Parks and Recreation – $2,623,383

    Public Works – $7,518,245

    Police – $7,620,366

    Fire – $7,059,900

    Cash Reserve for FY2012 – $750,000

Other Revenues and Expenditures:

    Water Fund – $13,198,820

    Golf Course – $520,632

    Concessions – $39,550

    Union Station – $479,430

    Waste Collection – $2,745,900

    Homeland Security – $479,431

    Parking Garage – $203,730

    Debt Service Fund – $4,995,185