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| Budget ready for public hearing |
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| News | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 05 August 2009 08:00 | |||
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Paola officials have mapped out a tight budget for 2010, and things may get even tighter next year. After several work sessions, during which officials crunched numbers to save jobs and keep the mill levy steady to not increase the burden on the taxpayers, Paola City Council members approved the publication of the proposed 2010 budget during their July 28 meeting. The budget includes a proposed mill levy of 40.371, the same as last year. The mill levy helps determine at what rate a city resident pays property taxes, but whether or not a resident pays higher taxes than last year will depend on the assessed valuation of their property. Residents can comment on the budget during a public hearing set for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Paola Justice Center, 805 N. Pearl St. Now that the proposed budget has been published, it can be reduced, but it cannot be increased. The approved city budget for 2010 must be sent to the county by Aug. 25. Paola City Manager Jay Wieland warned the council members to be prepared for the possibility of another extremely tight budget next year. Wieland said that if all expenditures and revenues for 2010 stay constant, the city would again be in cut mode for the 2011 budget. The city likely would have to cut between $100,000 and $120,000, and at that point, there may be no way of avoiding cutting staff. “That would be people,” Wieland said of the possible cuts next year. Paola City Clerk Dan Droste had some good budget news for the council when he reported that sales tax numbers were up for July. The report is always two months behind, so the numbers are from May sales. Droste said the city brought in $207,417 in July, compared to $189,714 during the same time period last year and $161,556 last month. Droste said the numbers have fluctuated drastically throughout the year, and he has no explanation for the recent jump. Councilman Pete Bell has repeatedly questioned the city’s spending during the tight economic times, and he again voted against the consent agenda during the July 28 meeting because he disagreed with several of the invoices. He specifically pointed out about $800 spent to send Paola Community Center Director Chad Myers to a conference in Ohio. Wieland said the Paola Community Center Board recommended the trip for training, and he approved it. The consent agenda was approved three votes to one.
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