Balanced budget within reach now

The Brainerd City Council came closer Tuesday to having a balanced budget for 2009.

The city council approved a preliminary levy of $4 million in September and with a reduction in Brainerd's state levy limit of $37,692, it left the city with a deficit of $102,000.

The council took action at a Nov. 24 budget meeting where it voted for an increase in police state aid, deleted a civil defense siren, reduced $10,000 from the Fourth of July fireworks by using the 2008 balance and decreased its building permit revenue.

In another budget workshop Tuesday, the council unanimously approved the elimination of $20,500 in parks building capital, a $15,000 savings in health insurance employee choices, $5,000 decrease in motor fuels and $9,200 decrease in a wage increases for the city attorney and misdemeanor prosecutor, with that money to be taken from the salary escrow fund instead.

Council members Bob Olson and Mark O'Day and Mayor James Wallin were not at the meeting.

Council members did not accept city staff recommendations on reducing $10,000 in allocating a share of the city attorney budget to go to the Public Utility Commission, reducing $5,400 of paid on-call volunteer payroll and reducing $5,000 in the animal control budget. Council members agreed that these items could come back into play withs the budget, but they wanted the administration to look closer at other areas to see what else could be cut.

With these approved changes, it leaves the city with about $33,000 to cut to balance its proposed 2009 budget.

Council president Kelly Bevans said the administration did a fabulous job at making recommendations for reductions and he was satisfied that the city can stick with a $4 million levy.

The city's Truth in Taxation public hearing is set for Dec. 8. The final budget and levy needs to be adopted by Dec. 20.

JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.