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Edgerton says yes to projects, no to equipment in proposed budget

EDGERTON — The city Edgerton will have to make do with some aging equipment in the coming year, City Administrator Ramona Flanigan said.

Costs for many supplies—including sand, salt, heat, gas and asphalt—are way up. Meanwhile, the city will lose an estimated $85,000 in revenue in 2009, including $21,000 in state aid, $15,000 in service charges and $14,000 in investment income.

That doesn't leave the city a lot of wiggle room, Flanigan said. The city denied more than $250,000 in departmental requests in its proposed 2009 budget, she said.

"We had a bigger discrepancy between what was requested and what was approved than I've ever seen," she said.

The proposed budget, set to come before voters at a public hearing Monday, Nov. 17, holds the levy to a 4 percent increase.

To do that, the city chose to focus on street and other projects over new equipment, Flanigan said.

"If that equipment can make it through another year, the priority has to be projects," she said.

As a result, the city won't buy a new street sweeper, bucket truck or lawnmower in 2009.

The city also denied a request from the police department for an 11th sworn officer. Chief Tom Klubertanz requested the additional officer because of an increase in service calls, scheduling difficulties and an expansion of services, such as school patrolling and drug investigations, according to a memo he sent to the city.

The proposed budget includes an additional $5,000 for police overtime, but it couldn't accommodate another officer, Flanigan said.

"(City officials) recognized it would be nice, but there's no way they could afford it," she said.

Other highlights in the proposed budget include:

-- $5,000 for city hall construction planning. Part of the money would be the city's share of a site assessment grant to investigate possible contamination in the chosen site, the municipal parking lot next to the existing city hall. The city is waiting to hear if it will get the state grant.

The money also could pay for referendum materials, Flanigan said. The ad-hoc city hall committee is recommending a referendum sometime in 2009—but after the April elections—on construction of a new city hall.

-- $43,000 taken from the city's fund balance to balance the budget. The fund balance will have about $552,000 at the end of 2008.

-- $250,000 borrowed to reconstruct Randolph Street. The city also proposes to spend about $63,000 on other projects, including upgrading its stoplight and widening Thronson Road.

IF YOU GO

What: Edgerton public hearing on the proposed city budget

When: 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17.

Where: Edgerton City Hall, 12 Albion St.

EDGERTON CITY BUDGET

A look at the proposed 2009 budget for Edgerton:

Total budget

Next year: $3.39 million

This year: $3.37 million

Increase: 0.5%

Tax levy

Next year: $1.87 million

This year: $1.79 million

Increase: 4%

Tax rate

(Per $1,000 of assessed valuation)

Next year: unknown

This year: $6.01

Note: Percent changes calculated on whole numbers.