Paul Rignell
Columbus Reporter
Columbus City Council members have approved a preliminary net increase of about $122,000, or 5.1 percent, for general budget expenditures in 2016.
To meet a proposed total general budget of $2.515 million, after projecting other revenue streams, the council on Sept. 23 passed a preliminary general tax levy of $2.21 million. That would be up 5.8 percent from the $2.09 million that was levied for general city expenditures in the present year. The Times inquired about individual property tax breakdowns, but the information was not available by press time.
The city was required to certify a maximum tax levy for 2016 with Anoka County by Sept. 30, and the council on Sept. 9 scheduled an annual tax hearing for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9 (during a regular council meeting).
After any further budget review in October and November, council could vote to trim more funding for next year and any reductions could come with cuts in the final tax levy that is due for city approval in December. However, the city is prohibited from boosting the levy above the figure that was certified in September.
The council peered over line items on budget worksheets for more than an hour at the meeting Sept. 9.
City Administrator Elizabeth Mursko noted some proposed increases in the general funds, including $3,000 for website and information technology consulting, although that cost would be offset by the city no longer funding the senior center coordinator.
Within the public works budget, the city is considering a bump from $35,000 up to $40,000 for dust control (calcium chloride treatments on gravel roads) based on a recommendation from the public works advisory committee.
City staff did shift a total of $8,000 in the budget between the September meetings after council reached consensus Sept. 9 to eliminate $8,000 for funding the city’s own fire inspection.
The council passed its preliminary budget Sept. 23 after transferring half of the $8,000 to fund further culvert and ditch work, raising that particular budget from $5,000 to $9,000. Public Works Superintendent Jim Windingstad reported Sept. 9 that city culverts in up to 12 locations could use replacement lining or other repairs. Mursko added that five culverts in particular are in greatest need for work.
The remaining $4,000 from the former fire inspection budget is scheduled for a fund to cover transportation studies including engineering and state lobbying for a Highway 97 (Lake Drive) bridge replacement over Interstate 35. That budget would jump from $50,000 to $54,000.
Council Members Mark Daly and Jeff Duraine voted against a 3-2 majority to transfer the $8,000 within the budget rather than cut that amount from the total.
Duraine said that he could not justify an increase as high as 5.8 percent in the preliminary levy.
The budget is calling for a hike of nearly $70,000 to cover blacktop maintenance, from a current budget of $252,360 to more than $321,000. More residents have petitioned the city in recent years to pave their neighborhood gravel roads, and the council has heard similar requests for the construction season in 2016.
Duraine motioned Sept. 9 to limit the increase for blacktop maintenance next year, maybe by half or just around $35,000. His motion failed for lack of a second, however.
