Troy prepares final budget for 2018
Troy’s final meeting for the 2018 budget, held Tuesday, Aug. 15, began with the task of shaving $47,000 off the general fund to correct a deficit.
As the councilors and Mayor Darren Coldwell, under the guidance of city clerk Tracey Rebo, scanned each line item to see what could be cut, Coldwell kept a careful tally, calling out the new deficit. A requested $8000 for new bunker gear for the fire department was cut to $4000 after Coldwell told the volunteer fire department “I’m sorry. We just don’t have the money, we can split it with you but that’s the best we can do.”
Various other cuts were made to the general fund, some as small as a few hundred dollars, but all adding up.
Many of the cuts came out of budget items there for emergency reasons, such as “small items of equipment” or “janitorial supplies.”
After getting the general fund down to a respectable $13,800 deficit, with Rebo to follow up on further cuts, the group moved on to the city’s main sources of funding — sewer, water and electric.
“Sewer is just not doing well compared to water (as a revenue source),” Rebo said. “With water when you go over your allotted amount, there’s a charge, but not with sewer, it’s a flat rate.”
After shaving $15,000 from the sewer budget, Coldwell noted “we’re at a $3,400 deficit for sewer. I’d say we’re in good shape.”
City electric employee Clint Taylor had, at a city council meeting on Aug. 9, requested to move more of the revenue received from electricity sales moved into his budget for use in vehicle maintenance for a truck used onsite.
Taylor requested $15 per hour for every hour his staff spent at the plant, a total of approximately $10,000 per year.
“We can’t do it,” Coldwell said. “It pads his budget, and takes away from general funds.”
Rebo agreed, saying “we have to raise money for the general fund, otherwise the whole city shuts down.”
The city’s economic development fund, which has about $80,000 in it, is the only account which needs very little attention at budget meetings, having no deficit.
When talk turned to that account, Coldwell commented “if we don’t spend it, we don’t see results, it’s that simple.”
Councilwoman Crystal Denton commented that the city would benefit from having a for-profit RV park by Callahan Creek.
Coldwell’s economic development project, “peddlers park,” which would use the same space Denton mentioned and cater to cyclists passing through Troy, will have tent sites, barbeques and coin operated showers and is due to be completed next summer.
Regarding the RV park, Coldwell said “it’s my policy that government shouldn’t compete with private enterprise.”
Councilman Dallas Carr responded by saying that some would say peddlers park is taking away business from local accommodation providers, and Coldwell said that may be true, but he was wanting to cater to those cyclists who would not otherwise purchase accommodations.