Setting priorities
Fruitland board sets fiscal agenda
Thursday, July 24, 2008 10:50 AM PDT
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| Workers for WF Construction, Boise, work on the South Pennsylvania Avenue road upgrade project Wednesday afternoon in Fruitland. Unlike this year, the city of Fruitland does not have any major road projects in the budget for the 2008-2009 budget year. Instead, the city’s attention will turn toward the water treatment plant as more projects associated with the upgrade get underway. |
JESSICA KELLER
ARGUS OBSERVER
FRUITLAND
For Fruitland taxpayers, its a good news, bad news scenario regarding the 2008-2009 city budget.
Here’s the good news: Fruitland property owners won’t be assessed additional city property taxes this year because last week, at the city’s budget work session, elected leaders decided to forgo a 3 percent property tax boost.
City leaders faced the option of boosting Fruitland property taxes across the board by 3 percent.
Under state law, the city can only collect 3 percent more in total property tax revenue over last year’s amount.
The council, however, did choose to initiate a 3 percent property tax hike for Fruitland’s costs of the county-wide ambulance service. The ambulance service receives funds from a separate portion of the Fruitland city budget.
The ambulance is a county-wide service that receives funding from all Payette County residents, not just Fruitland homeowners. Fruitland City Councilman Ken Bishop who posed the idea not to take the 3 percent last year, when he was voted down after heated debate, again put forth the suggestion.
“I don’t think we should take the 3 percent, OK, I’m done,” he said at the June 16 meeting.
The council, whoich did not agree with Bishop’s proposal last year, thought this year the idea had merit, however.
The poor economy and the fact the city significantly increased water rates played a part in the council’s decision to forgo the 3 percent property tax boost.
“I’d almost like to take a year and see what this economy’s going to do,” Fruitland Mayor Tom Limbaugh said.
Bishop said, while the city’s levy has gone down for property owners because of some growth and annexations, property values for residents have “skyrocketed.” Councilman Keith Schuller, however, issued the only word of caution about not taking the 3 percent increase, which can’t be made up in the future.
“No matter how bad things are we’ll still be expected to have police and fire trucks,” he said, adding he hoped not taking the 3 percent would not put the city in the same boat Payette experienced in the past.
Ed Pierson pointed out, however, that the city can always revisit a property tax levy increase next year.
“True, but this 3 percent is lost forever and ever,” Schuller said.
Limbaugh said it was best to be fiscally restrained.
“Trying to be as frugal and conservative as possible has always been the best bet to our community,” Limbaugh said.
Fruitland City Administrator Rick Watkins said the 3 percent increase over last year’s non-exempt tax budget came out to be about $34,133, which he had factored into the budget. He said after the meeting, however, he had no doubt the council made up for that amount after it finished their session.
On salaries, the City Council opted for a 4 percent raise pretty much across the board.
While proposed salary increases ranged from 5 percent to 7.5 percent for the majority of city staff through all the departments — with the exception of two police officers who were slated to receive 10 percent — the City Council stuck to about 4 percent across the board, Watkins said, after the meeting.
He said, while there were some variations, depending on how long the employees had worked for the city, the council did not go up or down more than 1 percent of the 4 percent settled on.
“They thought that would be a fair increase,” he said.
No major road improvements are slated for next year, Fruitland Public Works Supervisor Jerry Campbell said. The two big city projects this year are either complete or in the middle of completion. In infrastructure improvements, the city is shifting to the planned water treatment plant. Projects associated with the upgrade accounted for the major infrastructure improvements for the city in 2008 through 2009 reflected in the budget.
“We’ve got several projects going,” Campbell said.
River intake structure work will begin in September, he said, and construction on the main water treatment facility is expected to start by January of 2009. The city will be going out for the ground storage reservoir and booster pump stations in August, Campbell said.
