Published on Tuesday, June 24, 2008

DeKalb City Council approves the 2009 budget

By NORTHERN STAR STAFF

Monday night’s city council meeting saw the approval of the 2009 budget. The approved budget saves the city $512,000, and cuts $529,000 in projected revenue.

All eight amendments brought before the council were adopted into the budget, which will take effect July 1.

Amendments to reduce overtime costs by 10 percent, adopt new gasoline projections due to rising fuel costs, increase transfer from Tax Increment Financing fund to the general fund and cut 10 percent of the administrative services department budget were approved unanimously.

However, of the eight amendments, only these four were passed unanimously.

One proposal that would cut $50,000 for a city branding consultant was passed 6-1, with 6th Ward Alderman Ronald Naylor casting the only dissenting vote.

Another proposal to cut revenue projections from the rental licensing program was passed 6-1 as well, and 4th Ward Alderwoman Donna Gorski was the only dissenting vote.

The council voted 4-3 to put $394,000 of the $500,000 surplus in a special refuse fund in a capital projects fund. The remaining $131,000 will go to the general fund reserve.

Naylor, 6th Ward Alderman David Baker and 7th Ward Alderman Brent Keller opposed the transfer.

A new refuse rate was approved that will help offset the cost of services. The new rate will go into effect on July 1. The new rate will raise the cost for the average customer from $15.37 to $15.82 a month.

Also on the table were two other proposals that have not been officially heard by the council yet.

The first is a proposal for a rental property inspection program. The projected cost of the program would be $279,000, while the projected revenue would be $240,000.

The other proposal not yet heard by the council is the chronic nuisance proposal.