City departments can expect much of the same when Starkville”s proposed fiscal year 2012 budget is unveiled today.
No tax increases are scheduled for residents, who saw a 0.45-mill tax increase last year to help the city balance its budget.
However, all departments have been asked to keep their projected budgets free from new requests and at or around the same level of the last two fiscal years.
Copies can be downloaded in an e-packet at cityofstarkville.org.
As Ward 2 Alderwoman and chairman of the city”s budget committee Sandra Sistrunk said Wednesday, “It”s not about what”s in the budget as what”s not,” pointing out the lack of additional funding for personnel and equipment.
“The street department is driving around with some 17-year-old trucks, and obviously they”ve like to have a new one,” Sistrunk added. “Some of our departments don”t have the level of resources they need to function as they possibly could. It”s a shortcoming, but those department heads did a really good job with their budgets.”
At the Starkville Board of Aldermen”s scheduled meeting Tuesday, the board will review the proposed budget and citizens will have a chance to address concerns in the first of two public hearings. The second public hearing will be during the board”s second scheduled meeting on Aug. 16, which will be the first date the board could adopt the original version or modified version of budget.
While city departments have been asked to keep budgets flat, the issue of employee retention could be addressed Tuesday.
The Starkville Police Department has lost six officers since the beginning of the year, including five to the Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Though not the sole reason for recent defections, a major sticking point is competitive pay. SPD Chief David Lindley said the MHP, which has a station in Starkville, starts academy graduates at $37,000 annually while the SPD starts rookies at $32,000 a year.
Lindley said he”s also lost officers to the Oktibbeha County Sheriff”s Office and has several interested in working for the Starkville School District, which employs resource officers.
Currently, the SPD”s staff is 53, eight officers/investigators fewer than the national average of a town of similar size, Lindley said.
“We”re still covering bases, but we have to prioritize calls,” Lindley said.
Lindley said he understands the city”s budget challenges but said the SPD needs “parity” with the other law enforcement agencies in the area.
“Lack of competitive pay can be a de-motivator,” Lindley said. “We made the board aware through the budgeting process and they are doing the best they can to provide compensation through resources we have available. Of course, we”re fortunate we”re not having to do furloughs and reductions in force.”
Last year”s budget of expenditures was $15,889, 270, with the police department eating up $3.8 million, the fire department $3.5 million and general government, which includes personnel services and supplies, accounting for $4 million.
The only expected budget change slated for the FY 2012 proposal is a 16 percent increase in health insurance, which should add roughly $175,000 of expense to the general fund.
The expense increase is based on projections of expected claims.
The city uses a two-step insurance plan in which a third-party administrator processes claims by the city pays it. The city also has gap coverage for what it doesn”t cover. Sistrunk said the budget committee explored the option of using a traditional insurance carrier but that the difference in cost was about the same.
As for citizens, Sistrunk said there”ll again be a noticeable lack of funds dedicated to capital improvements like drainage, streets and bike paths.
Typically, those kinds of budget items would require a tax increase, which the board hasn”t done in recent years.
And with a tax increase looming for the municipal building/police station project — which will also be discussed Tuesday — additional tax increases in the ”12 budget are unlikely.
“Of the 25 largest cities in Mississippi, Starkville has the lowest millage rate of any city in that top 25,” Sistrunk said. “Our millage rate is almost half of what Columbus” is. By not wanting to increase sales tax and not having the political will to increase property tax, we”ve effectively lived on organic growth. We”ve been lucky we”ve had that, but as a result we have a very lean budget.”
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