Conservative budget in the works for 2011

GENTRY — Members of the City Council’s finance committee, along with other council members, the mayor and department heads, are working on a city budget for 2011.

With incoming tax revenue on a slow but steady increase, Gentry Mayor Wes Hogue urged conservative budgeting again for the upcoming year.

Though sales taxes are looking slightly better, Hogue expressed concern over county taxes coming into the city, which have functioned as the city’s cash reserves. The amount the city has been able to retain in reserves and carry over has declined and is down to$100,000 this year Hogue said. He said he anticipated the city would have to be very conservative, at least until the remainder of the 5-year note on the fire department improvement is paid off.

Committee members reviewed the proposed police department budget for next year, making only a few minor adjustments. In addition to some items necessary for maintaining secure police records, the department has requested money be budgeted for a new police car in 2011. The department was purchasing one new car each year and rotating one car out of its fleet, but the department did without a new car last year because of declining tax revenue.

Not replacing older police units eventually costs the city more in vehicle repairs and maintenance than regularly purchasing a new car, Gentry Police Chief Keith Smith explained.

The amount in the proposed budget for a new car is $23,000, with an additional $9,000 budgeted to equip the car with all the necessary equipment - radios, radar, lights and other specialized safety and police equipment.

The committee was to continue its work of reviewing items in departmental budgets lineby-line at another meeting Tuesday afternoon. A final budget is expected to be presented to the city council for approval before the close of the year.