As gas prices continue to rise, climbing to levels more than $3.25 per gallon this week, the City of Columbus budget is showing the strain.
If the city continues spending an average $44,170 per month on gas, as it has the past five months according to Columbus CFO Mike Bernsen, the city will outspend its $450,000 fuel budget by $80,040.
“We”re going to take a look at (the fuel budget) mid-year and possibly get council approval for an increase,” Bernsen said. “That”ll definitely be on the list.”
Although only 41.7 percent of the fiscal year has elapsed, the city has already spent 49.1 percent, or $220,854, of its fuel budget, Bernsen said.
“The gas budget is a hard one to tie down,” he added. “You never know what”ll happen with the prices.”
The city is spending an average $4,470 more per month on gas this fiscal year, which began in October 2010, than last fiscal year, when it spent an average $39,700 per month, Bernsen said.
If that trend continues, the city will pay $52,759 more for gas this fiscal year ($530,040 total) than in 2010 ($477,281).
Even though the city”s demand will likely increase during the summer, Bernsen said he is “optimistic” that usage will eventually “level off.”
Right now, he added, the city is finishing catching up on an “unusual” number of lot-cleaning projects, which often require gas for yard work.
“It really, really, really spiked in 2010,” he said.
While cutting gas consumption may seem like the easy solution to the fuel budget fix, that”s not really feasible for the city, Bernsen said.
“There just isn”t any room to cut usage,” he added. “I don”t see how we could.”
Most of the fuel budget, which feeds 80 to 120 city vehicles not counting equipment, goes to the police department, he said. Cutting the department”s usage could affect its crime-fighting abilities.
Gas prices may rise, but police Public Information Officer Terrie Songer said fuel is a necessary expense for the department.
“Anytime something increases in price, it”s going to affect us because we”ve got so much allotted (in our budget),” Songer said. “But we”ve got to be out.”
Even though gas prices takes a large bite out of the city budget, the city is still paying at least a couple dimes less per gallon than most of its citizens.
The city has a large tank that costs about $20,000 to $24,000 to fill. Each time the tank needs a refill, the job is assigned to the lowest bidder.
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