City commissioners looked at a revised second draft of the general fund budget for the 2010 fiscal year during a special study session that took place after the commission’s regular action meeting Wednesday afternoon.
The revision comes as commissioners look at options for how to eliminate a projected $2.2 million dollar deficit.
“It’s a work in progress,” City Manager Matt Zimmerman said. “I always say the budget is a snapshot in time, and the world moves on.”
Commissioners and city staff have been spent weeks working through the budget to find ways to eliminate the deficit while keeping the mill levy flat. Two public hearings have been held so far to involve members of the community in the budget process.
There were several changes in the most recent round of balancing recommendations, including reinstating the municipal band subsidy and eliminating the city’s director of administrative services position after Larry Bucklinger retires later this year.
Commissioners agreed to invite the public for comment on the budget at next Wednesday’s study session at 9 a.m. in Conference Room 1 A and B.
In other business, commissioners set Sept. 1 as the date to open bids for repairs to Fire Station 2. Some of the more major repairs at the station will include replacement of the concrete slab in the apparatus bay, replacement of portions of the heating and cooling system and replacing and regrading pavement to improve drainage around the building.
Commissioners also authorized a payment of $5,000 to SOS from the city’s domestic violence prevention fund. Money in the fund can only be used for domestic violence prevention. SOS executive director Susan Moran said the funds will help the organization as it faces decreasing grant monies.
A bid for the KLINK resurfacing project on Highway 50 from Industrial Road to Prairie Street was awarded to APAC-KS, Inc., Shears Division in the amount of $369,280. The project, a cost share in which the Kansas Department of Transportation will pay $200,000, will cost the city $190,009.
At Wednesday’s action meeting, commissioners also
F authorized the city to issue general obligation bonds in the amount of $770,000 and a temporary note in the amount of $1.175 million. Projects in the bond issue include paving at Sunflower Meadows and paving and sewer work at Cedar Bend and Greenwood. Projects in the temporary note issue include the repair project at Fire Station 2 and street, paving and sewer projects at REG.
F set Aug. 20 as the date to accept bids for concession services at W.L. White Arena.
F passed an ordinance adopting the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations.
F approved a proclamation honoring Jerry Zorn for 15 years of service at the municipal golf course.
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
i think now reddog has found the problem. our city manager said the budget is a snapshot and the world moves on. this sounds like the federal government. the budget should never be a snapshot, but a portrait with attention to detail. by treating the budget like a snapshop it becomes more like the sitcom, as the world turns. this is not the mystery of emporia, this is the mystery of america. its time to privatize the utilities . joe six pack does not understand why the world and his culture is changing and why he does not have a say in it. there is a reason most people do not show up at these budget meetings. folks have a gut feeling that were being hoodwinked and there is nothing we can do about it.
August 5, 2009 at 8:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Hold on there, just a minute now, whoa, whoa, whoa.
At the public budget hearing held on Aug. 4th, 2009 at Timmerman elementary school. The City Commissioners and the City manager all stated that they had made some cuts in the budget to essentially balance the budget ! In fact they stated that they had not only balanced the budget, but in fact had done so to the tune of a $13, 000 surplus and I asked them specifically if I was to understand that they had in fact balanced the budget and in fact ended up with a $ 13, 000 surplus and they assured me that my understanding was indeed correct and there was now going to be a $13,000 surplus instead of a $2.2 million dollar deficit !
Now, was the City Commissioners and City manager actually misleading me and others on Aug. 4th, well actually lying to me and the others who attended the Aug. 4th meeting or has something drastically changed in a week. I believe the City Commissioners should and need to schedule another public budget hearing and make a clear and truthful disclosure of whether they actually lied on Aug. 4th or just plain decieved the public. Either way their credibility as Commissioners and City manager has been absolutely destroyed, with me at least . And it looks as if it is going to be the same old City Business as usual in Euphoria Ville.
August 5, 2009 at 9:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
The date of the meeting was July 27th not Aug 4th.
August 5, 2009 at 10:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
justthefacts (anonymous) says...
Staples has a sale on pocket protectors, Bic pens and black horn rimmed glasses and high-water slacks.
August 5, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
reddog (K. B. Thomas Jr.) says...
the director of administrative services and head bean counter is being retired and not replaced. this is very interesting stuff. i do not believe that matt zimmerman knew what he was geting into when he took this job. i thought it was amusing that the gazette reported that the first thing the new city manager did was buy a car from jeff longbine.
August 5, 2009 at 11:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
knute (anonymous) says...
The head bean counter was a buddy of, and arrived alongside, commons and we know what he did to us. As for the car purchase , reddog, I'm glad someone else remembers that tidbit of information.
August 6, 2009 at 12:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Wait a minute ........................................ are you sure that Staples has high-water slacks? SWEET!
August 6, 2009 at 12:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
biscuitboy (anonymous) says...
reddog.......utilities were privatized in this country years ago...an idea that was abandoned because it was a failure. But what does that have to do with the city budget?
August 6, 2009 at 3:55 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Was this false reporting by the Gazette !
Citizens look again at budget
By Russ Morgan (Contact)
Friday, July 31, 2009
At Wednesday’s city commission study session, city manager Matt Zimmerman offered recommendations for dealing with the budget, using cuts from the capital improvement plan, departments and various expenses to arrive at a surplus of $13,008.
Or did the City Commissioners and City Manager just plain lie to those who attended the July 30th meeting or did they decieve the public and the Gazette with a bogus made up report of balancing the budget, with a $13,008 dollar surplus, which in my opinion is the same as lying .
Can the citizens of Emporia and Lyon County trust its elected Commissioners and those the Commissioners hire as managers be trusted, especially after such an obviously blatant attempt to decieve the citizens of Emporia ?
August 6, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
methusla (anonymous) says...
Do the City Commissioners really want any input from the average citizen of Emporia or do they just want input from certain citizens of Emporia who just want to spend money on trying to keep up with those larger citys that they are so enamored with ? Making the highway entrances to Emporia to the tune of $100,500 will not attract more visitors or tourists to Emporia ! As I have said many times making the entrances to Emporia pretty, replacing lights/light fixtures, sound system at the civic auditorium, which are working and not endangering anyone will not attract new, visitors, tourists or more importantly jobs to Emporia !
Extravagant and unnecessary spending will not improve the progession and growth of Emporia or Lyon County . However expanding the jobs base and job oppertunities in Emporia and Lyon County will have a progressive affect on Emporia and Lyon County and will make Emporia and Lyon County grow and prosper .
The formula for any growth for a city, county, etc. is, jobs and job oppertunities = increased tax revenues and demand for increased retail sales and choices = growth and prosperty = increased revenue for needed and not so needed city and county expenditures/purchases !
I think that each and every one of us is smart enough to know that you cannot constantly spend more than you earn, especially on foolish and unnecessary items and expect to prosper, grow and survive for very long ! Eventually your unnecessary and foolish spending and overspending will catch up to you and be the cause of your downfall and failure !
August 6, 2009 at 9:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
truelovecharlie (anonymous) says...
$200,000.00 + $190,009.00 + $390,009.00. They accepted the bid of $369,280.00. Who keeps the extra $20,729? Reinstated the $7500 for the munincipal? Who are the connected people in the band? What a rediculous expense in this economy. There is too much buddy system in politics! I have owned my own businesses and been in management positions most of my adult life; I have always made it my rule to be a boss, not a friend. When hard decisions had to be made, they were and with no regard to friendships or relationships----That's Business.
August 6, 2009 at 9:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )