City Council discusses preliminary city budget

Troy City Council members and Mayor Darren Coldwell gathered July 26 for a preliminary city budget meeting.

Working through the proposed expenditure page by page brought up discussion about how to spend economic development funds, how to manage snow removal in coming winters and a likely rate increase for electricity.

The city has $80,000 of asbestos related funding in an economic development account and it was suggested by Dallas Carr that following the success of last year’s Christmas light display, which cost a total of $13,263, lights should be extended to the Roosevelt Bridge this year.

Two issues arose — the safety of the bridge and the effectiveness of spending money on Christmas lighting for a bridge only locals see.

“Have you ever gone sideways across that bridge?” Carr asked. “I know I have, and it’s because you can’t see what the conditions are.”

Roosevelt Bridge is managed by the county, and is a National Historic Monument, City Clerk Tracey Rebo said, indicating that there may be limitations to what kinds of lighting and decorations can be displayed on it.

Economic development funds also include funding from a grant for “peddlers park,” a camping area with coin-operated showers to be located near the Troy museum.

“Let’s get moving on that,” said Coldwell. “The deadline to use those funds is August of next year.”

Rebo agreed to contact city crews to begin preliminary work on peddlers park this summer.

Carr also expressed concern about snow removal for the coming winter.

“We need better machines,” he said after Rebo said $19,000 was spent in city wages for snow removal in the week following a large snowfall in January. “Something that you can do three scoops into a dump truck and be done. Our guys are wearing out their equipment and we’re spending so much in wages.”

Coldwell said that Libby hires out it’s snow removal, and some cities lease machines appropriate for snow removal.

“But,” Coldwell added, “you have to remember that the money came from the state [in the case of the $19,00]. We don’t have that kind of money in the budget [for big machinery].”

Coldwell pointed out that in the preliminary budget, the cost of a new flatbed truck, to be shared among water, sewer and electric crews had to be broken down into $1500 paid by each department.

A rise in electricity charges from Bonneville will likely be passed on to ratepayers next year, Rebo said.

“We’re looking at a 5.5 percent increase in metered usage,” she said. “And a possible one or two dollar rise in the base rate, which is currently only $11 a month, where most companies charge $25 a month base rate.”

Discussion also turned to the new city of Troy signs which were put in place on Tuesday, July 25.

The signs are wooden and say “Troy, where Montana begins.” Coldwell said a family from Texas who has links to the area donated the signs, but wishes to remain anonymous.

The budget will be finalized after state revenue figures become available in August.