GENTRY — City employees will receive a 3 percent raise next year with the adoption of a new salary schedule and a 2012 budget by the Gentry City Council on Monday.

The pay increase will apply to all city employees but not to elected officials. Elected officials’ pay (that of the mayor, city clerk, city attorney, aldermen and planning commissioners) remains unchanged for 2012.

Also included in the salary schedule and budget is pay for additional part-time hours so that the fire station has a firefighter present during the day, seven days per week.

The pay raise, according to the adopting resolution, comes after a comprehensive study and review of proposed salaries.

A full schedule of salaries is available at city hall.

Full-timesalaries, according to the schedule range from a low of $28,840 to a high of $57,011.

The council vote to adopt the new pay schedule was unanimous, with the exception of Kyle Jordan, who was absent.

2012 budget adopted

After numerous budget meetings, the city council also adopted a budget for 2012 during Monday night’s meeting by a 7-0 vote.

The new budget reflects estimated General Fund revenue at $1,342,375, with budgeted expenditures set at $95,568.

In the County Tax account, income was estimated at $640,800 and expenditures at $602,000.

In the Street and Alley budget, incoming revenue was estimated at $999,438. Budgeted expenditures are $551,550, with another $310,000 budgeted to go into a street-project reserve fund ($210,000 for sidewalk projectsand $100,000 for a final overlay project).

In the Solid Waste Fund, income was estimated at $27,400 and expenses at $11,629.

A total of $79,321 was estimated as incoming revenue for the Fire Equipment Sinking Fund, with no planned expenditures listed for 2012. Act 833 funds reflect a carryover balance of $36,160.21 and another $14,000 to come into the fund. Expenses reserved for new construction were budgeted at $50,000.

Library budget figures included incoming revenue of $161,702 with budgeted expenses at $144,394.

The Act 209 Incarceration Fund includes budgeted income of $33,171 with expenses estimated at $6,600.

The city’s Water and Sewer Department projects income of $2,457,750 and expensesof $2,097,750, leaving a budget cushion of $360,000.

Also adopted by the council was a budgetamendment for 2011, adjusting line items which were over the 2011 budget. No adjustment was necessary where expenditures were less than the budgeted amount.

Full copies of budget documents are available by request at city hall.

News, Pages 1 on 12/07/2011