With budget time looming, city leaders are eyeing a number of changes for the next fiscal year, including a four-day workweek for city employees, reorganization of city departments and the elimination of some outside contributions, among other measures.
The changes are still theoretical, but were discussed Tuesday by the city”s budget committee. The committee, which includes Ward 2 Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk, Ward 3 Alderman Eric Parker, Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins and Mayor Parker Wiseman, among others, eventually will hold a work session with the entire Board of Aldermen in an attempt to prepare the city”s 2010-2011 budget.
The group is attempting to devise a budget with projected revenues equal to revenues received in 2007, Sistrunk said. In 2007, revenues totaled $15.25 million. The goal is to pass a budget later this summer with projected revenues totaling $15.29 million.
Revenues in 2008 totaled $16.28 million and revenues in 2009 totaled $15.86 million.
The budget committee is searching for ways to save money, but it also plans to recommend aldermen hire an additional technology expert for the city”s IT department; reorganize the city”s planning department to form a yet-to-be-named community development department, which could include the hiring of additional staff; and reorganize the city”s Sanitation Department to form an Environmental Services division.
“All of these are proposals that haven”t really been flushed out yet,” Wiseman said.
To save money, the committee is considering whether to recommend aldermen eliminate non-obligated outside contributions to several local groups and organizations. The city would still contribute to the public library, hospital, animal shelter and other entities, but other groups and organizations might not receive funds.
Perkins emphasized his desire to eliminate non-obligated outside contributions, including the $70,000 the city gives to the Mississippi Horse Park every year. He also wants to sell the former Starkville Electric Department building and petition the state Legislature to change the formula for distribution of the city”s 2 percent food and beverage tax to give the city a larger share. The 2 percent tax revenues are split among the Starkville Convention and Visitors Bureau (15 percent), the Starkville Parks and Recreation Department (40 percent), the city (10 percent), the Oktibbeha County Economic Development Authority (15 percent) and Mississippi State University (20 percent). Perkins said he wants the city to receive a 20 percent share of the 2 percent tax revenues.
“We need to cut down on expenses and save this city money,” Perkins said.
The budget committee also is looking at the possibility of a four-day, 36-hour workweek for city employees, and possible pay raises to compete with employee pay scales in similar size cities, Wiseman said. Additionally, the city has to contribute an additional 1.75 percent to employees” Public Employees Retirement System to comply with state law that went into effect July 1.
“It”s going to be a tight year,” Sistrunk said.
A tax increase is one option to increase revenues, but Sistrunk said that would be her “last choice.”
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