LINCOLN -- Lincoln City Council approved the city's 2017 budget at its November meeting, with Mayor Rob Hulse thanking city staff members Rhonda Hulse and Belinda Beasley for their efforts in putting together a budget for the new year.
"This is a workable budget," Rob Hulse said.
The Council also approved a $500 net bonus (after taxes) for all employees and voted to give employees and City Council members a $100 gift card from Walmart for Christmas. The gift cards will not cost any money because the city plans to redeem credit card reward points for the gift cards.
Hulse said the bonus and gift cards are a way for the city to show its appreciation to employees. He added that he wanted to give aldermen a Walmart gift card as a thank you for their time and commitment to the city.
In other business, Rhonda Hulse, city office manager/grants administrator, announced the city had received a $25,000 grant from Arkansas Economic Development Division of Rural Services for a new police vehicle. The city will pay the balance for the $47,000 fully equipped Chevrolet Tahoe.
The 2017 budget shows the city projects to receive $428,530 in revenue with $382,975 in expenses for the general fund. Revenues include $100,000 from county property taxes, $113,000 from franchise taxes, $120,250 from the county sales and use tax and $35,000 from state turnback funds.
Expenses for the general fund include $178,730 for salaries and benefits, $22,500 for dues, subscriptions and fees, $16,500 for accounting fees, $9,000 for legal fees and $17,500 for utilities and related costs.
For the police department, total income projected is $284,367, with $341,370 in expenses. Revenue includes almost $26,000 in reimbursement for the school resource officer and $76,000 in fines and fees. Expenses include about $285,500 for salaries and benefits, $10,000 for legal fees, $8,000 for utilities and $17,000 for vehicle fuel and maintenance.
Budgets for other departments include $190,555 for Lincoln Public Library, $173,119 for the sanitation department and $40,250 for the street department.
The water department's budget projects to receive $1.7 million in revenue, with $1.64 million in expenses. Hulse said projected revenue is up for 2017, compared to 2016, because the city increased rates slightly this year to reflect higher rates from the Benton Washington Regional Public Water Authority (Two Ton).
Revenues for the water department include $1.9 million from water collection and $345,000 from sewer collection. Expenses include $646,640 for salaries and benefits, $548,500 for loan payments, $86,000 for utilities and $70,000 as a required transfer to water/sewer depreciation.
The city's capital improvements budget for next year projects $235,500 from the 1-percent sales tax. This money will be used for a metal building at the wastewater treatment plant, $30,000 for a truck for the fire department's administrator, $25,000 for three servers and an off-site data backup plan, $28,000 for a payment on the new trash truck and $5,000 for a snow plow.
General News on 12/14/2016