Roanoke Rapids has a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
After some negotiating this evening and talking with department heads, council unanimously agreed to trim $373,301 from the financial plan, which becomes effective July 1.
There will be no job reductions from the trimming and it will put back into the budget $160,000 for a new trash truck, which City Manager Paul Sabiston had recommended to take out. Instead, the public works will do without a new knuckle boom in the upcoming fiscal year.
The new budget keeps in the latest longevity plan for city employees, funding it at 100 percent. Also accounted in the reductions is $250,000 from deferring this year's balloon payment on the Roanoke Rapids Theatre and some $60,000 in savings from going with a new property and casualty insurance policy.
The $373,301 reflects $20,000 added back into the budget because former Parks and Recreation Director Chris Wicker will be taking a job with his church and will eventually not be performing his part time grant writing duties. Funding for that position now includes only $5,000, Sabiston told council.
There was discussion about the possibility of eliminating the part time evidence custodian position within the police department but Interim Police Chief Jeff Hinton explained the problems losing that position would cause.
“The original thought was that in the past one of our investigators handled all the evidence,” Hinton explained.
That evidence, he said, ranges from items recovered in break-ins to drugs and cash. “Using a full time investigator to handle evidence, we felt was not a good use of time for an investigator.”
To create a full time position, Hinton said, would probably cost the city $50,000. “We feel like we're getting more than $50,000 worth of work.”
Larry Chalker, who serves as property maintenance manager for the public works department, explained to Councilman Greg Lawson the department currently has three trash trucks, two on the road and one used as a spare.
Because of the stop and go nature of trash pickup, Chalker said, “The trucks get older every year,” adding if a new one is not bought, “It's going to impact us sooner or later.”
The department has four knuckle booms plus one used as a spare. “I would certainly rather give that up than a loader,” Chalker said.
Lawson made the motion to adopt the budget, which was seconded by Ed Liverman.
While there was some discussion by Councilman Carl Ferebee to freeze capital spending until the city was sure it had the funds, Sabiston advised against that. “If you make a motion to freeze this you're going to get things you didn't intend to. I think we can handle that in house.”
Mayor Emery Doughtie was pleased the city now has a budget. “We've got a working instrument in front of us.”
With loss of the theater reserve fund, Doughtie said he hopes the $250,000 in balloon payment deferment can go to replenish that fund. “We're going to have to be more efficient.”
Doughtie said he still wants to explore the 1 cent sales tax matter. “I think the people of Roanoke Rapids want to be heard about being responsible for our debt.”
