NEWBERRY – The City of Newberry’s first budget meeting for the upcoming 2012-13 fiscal year showed a projected decrease of ad valorem tax revenues of $180,000. The anticipated revenue loss prompted discussion among the commission and city staff about how to recover from this loss as well as other anticipated losses.The ad valorem tax revenue decrease is the result of a recent property assessment of Vulcan Materials Company, formally known as Florida Rock Industries Inc.
Disregarding Community Development Block Grant revenues and expenditures, anticipated revenues are down 5.6 percent and anticipated expenditures are down 7.3 percent.
One suggestion from City Manager Keith Ashby included reworking city positions. After City Clerk Gayle B. Pons retires, Ashby proposed that current Deputy City Clerk Judy Rice be promoted to City Clerk. The position of Deputy City Clerk would be abolished.
To offset a projected 20 percent increase in healthcare costs, city staff proposed charging city employees $25 a month to offset the cost, which would bring in $17,000, half of the anticipated increase. Another option would be to offer employees a $350 monthly stipend, which would save the city a projected $49,000.
There was also discussion about transferring money from utility reserves to mitigate the deficit. The commission will continue budget and personnel discussions in the coming weeks.
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Email mharvard@alachuatoday.com
The ad valorem tax revenue decrease is the result of a recent property assessment of Vulcan Materials Company, formally known as Florida Rock Industries Inc.
Disregarding Community Development Block Grant revenues and expenditures, anticipated revenues are down 5.6 percent and anticipated expenditures are down 7.3 percent.
One suggestion from City Manager Keith Ashby included reworking city positions. After City Clerk Gayle B. Pons retires, Ashby proposed that current Deputy City Clerk Judy Rice be promoted to City Clerk. The position of Deputy City Clerk would be abolished.
To offset a projected 20 percent increase in healthcare costs, city staff proposed charging city employees $25 a month to offset the cost, which would bring in $17,000, half of the anticipated increase. Another option would be to offer employees a $350 monthly stipend, which would save the city a projected $49,000.
There was also discussion about transferring money from utility reserves to mitigate the deficit. The commission will continue budget and personnel discussions in the coming weeks.
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