STANFORD — Stanford City Council passed the first readings Monday night of its city and water budgets for the next fiscal year.
"I feel like for the most part, everybody is comfortable with our city budget," Stanford Mayor Bill Miracle said.
The proposed 2012-2013 budget includes an estimated $2.06 million in revenue and $1.95 million in expenses, leaving the city with a projected end-of-balance of $112,711.
The proposed budget shows an increase in revenue of $181,624 over the budgeted revenue for the current fiscal year and an increase in spending of $165,842.
At the request of Councilman Scottie Ernst, a line item of $70,000 for Logan's Fort that was listed on the revenue and expense sides of the budget was removed because the money wasn't a sure thing.
Miracle said the $70,000 would have to be raised by Logan's Fort and then could be used. The money had been included in the budget because last year an auditor "dinged" the city for not including it, he said.
City Attorney John Hackley confirmed if the $70,000 is successfully raised, the city council can amend the budget to include the appropriate amounts.
The proposed water department budget anticipates $48,024 less in revenue next fiscal year compared to the budget for this fiscal year. It projects a decrease in water spending by approximately $60,000 and an increase in sewer spending of more than $11,500.
Water Department Manager Ryan Owens told council members the recent annexation that increased Stanford's footprint reduced rates for customers in the annexed area because they were previously paying the higher, outside-city-limits rates.
According to budget documents provided by Owens, the Water Department expects $24,077 less in sewer service revenue and $28,797 less in water service revenue in the new fiscal year.
Owens said the Water Department is handling the decrease in revenue with across-the-board belt-tightening.
The city council also approved a change to city employees' holiday schedule at the recommendation of Miracle. The change would bring city employees' holiday schedule in line with state employees' holiday schedule, providing two and a half extra days of holiday throughout the year, Miracle said.
Miracle said the change, which would cost about $3,000, would be a good way to give city employees an added benefit without adding much cost. An across-the-board 3-percent raise, for example, would cost $15,000, which the city can't afford to do, Miracle said.
A special meeting for second readings of the city and water budgets has been scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday.
In other business, earlier in the month at its regularly scheduled meeting, the council:
• approved a payment request of $39,045 and two change orders totaling $2,050 for Coffey Construction's work on the restroom project at Fort Logan; and
• rolled a total of $282,469.89 of debt into a single loan from First Southern National Bank.
The debts rolled together included two previous loans with outstanding balances of approximately $120,000 and $112,000, and $47,250 for settling the Camenisch water dispute.
Miracle said the five-year loan from First Southern has a 4-percent interest rate. The city used two properties including the city parking garage as collateral on the loan, he said.
