Seeing black — Surplus allows council to agree to most budget increase requests
On April 14, the Newcastle City Council held its annual budget workshop, and unlike last year’s meeting, which was marked by concerns over inflation, this year’s workshop was more upbeat.
“It’s my understanding right now that we’re in a good position with the budget,” Mayor Tyrel Owens said in reference to a surplus reported by City Clerk Stacy Haggerty, who shared with the council that revenue would outpace expenditures in the upcoming fiscal year.
According to Haggerty, the proposed budget, which will be voted on by the council on June 3, would result in a surplus of about half a million dollars. Total revenue for all funds is $11,248,795, and total expenditures are $10,714,698.
Multiple service providers requested an increase in funds received from the city. Perhaps because of the anticipated surplus — and in contrast to last year — the council was more willing to grant such requests.
EMS allotment
Shane Kirsch of Campbell County Health Emergency Medical Services spoke to the council about the need for a 5% increase in the subsidy provided to support a local ambulance service. Kirsch said that the increase is “based on the inflationary indices for hospitals and the health care industry as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.”
Kirsch referenced recent community discussion on the establishment of an EMS taxing district to help the community cover the cost of the service in the future, and Owens voiced his approval of the idea.
“I advocated for the ambulance district with the county commissioners,” the mayor said.
Later during the workshop, Owens clarified that a taxing district would “be another source of revenue” for the EMS service and said that it would benefit the community in the event that the Campbell County-based provider ever stopped serving Weston County.
“(The taxing district would provide) us a footprint if they ever decided to pull up stakes and not support our community,” he said.
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Chamber cash
Newcastle Chamber of Commerce Treasurer Ashley Tupper outlined the changes the chamber has made to its operation and requested a return to the $10,000 funding it received before last year’s budget cuts. She pointed out that the chamber has a new board of directors and a new executive director.
“The new team has spent countless hours revamping every aspect of the chamber … as a business,” she said.
This includes the introduction of new events, such as a “biannual networking mixer that will take place in June and January.”
Owens expressed satisfaction with the information provided.
“I think this goes a long way to (showing us) why you guys would need an increase,” he said.
Doggie dollars
Weston County Humane Society Board Chair Christine Beardsley requested an additional $2,000 for her organization to bring its subsidy from $18,000 to $20,000. She attributed the request to increased veterinary and dog food costs.
“Dave and Lindsay (Sudbrink) tried to give a discount, but their expenses have also gone up,” she said.
Beardsley also let the council know that in the past six months, the humane society has had “25 dogs in (its) care every day” and that 13 of these dogs currently reside at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp where they are trained by inmates.
Fire-fighting funds
Newcastle Volunteer Fire Department Chief James Curren asked the council to add $5,000 to the fire department’s budget for equipment. According to Clerk Haggerty, this would raise the fire department’s equipment budget from $25,000 to $30,000.
The council voiced agreement to approve all the above requests when it casts the official vote in June.
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Airport ambiguity
Mondell Airport Board member Bob Svara began his remarks by reminding the council of its decision not to approve the airport board’s request last year for an increase in airport manager Tuff Streeter’s wages.
“We were not given any explanation of why the city decided not to pay that increase,” Svara said.
Owens explained that the council was wary of approving the request because Streeter operates a business at the airport, Tuff Air, and constituents had suggested that the city should not supplement the wages earned from his business. Council members also raised concerns about the ambiguous nature of the airport board.
“As far as I can find out, we have no charter. We have no bylaws. There’s nothing written down that says we are a board. … At least the courthouse can’t find it,” Svara admitted.
Owens suggested that the issue be researched before a subsidy or increase to the subsidy be approved. He recommended that the council’s board committee, consisting of council members Chris Kenney, Don Steveson and Tom Voss, meet with the airport board to clear up some of the ambiguity.
“It would be easier to cut you guys a check for your subsidy … if we understood the nature of (our) relationship,” Owens said.
Rec board rejected
Unlike the airport board, whose funding is in the air pending clarification, the Newcastle Recreation Board’s request for an increase from $38,000 to $40,000 was flatly rejected.
Councilmember Voss revised an issue from last year’s workshop regarding the rec board’s funding of events “outside (the city’s) jurisdiction.” No specific examples were shared during the recent workshop, but two examples from the previous year included funds used for a photo booth at prom and a $1,500 contribution to the high school’s FCCLA organization.
The council also took issue with the lack of a representative from the rec board at the workshop and the difficulty Clerk Haggerty faced in getting budget information from the rec board.
“It’s $38,000. It’s been that way
for years. Just leave it alone,” Voss suggested.
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City costs climb (mostly)
In addition to the service requests, budget increases were also requested by Clerk Haggerty and Public Works Supervisor Greg Stumpff.
Haggerty noted a 4% rise in the financial administration budget, due to higher audit expenses related to government grant funds exceeding $750,000. She also said that the city has “budgeted for rate increases for all employees.”
Stumpff, who was not in attendance due to a grant writing training, left the council with a public works budget that has a 35% rise in parks expenditures for bike path construction and a 43% rise in the Water Fund for essential equipment, including $200,000 for new pumps for Booster Station No. 1. Additionally, Haggerty highlighted another major increase in Stumpff’s budget.
“Our garbage fund expenditures also increased significantly due to the landfill remediation project,”
she said.
Police Chief Derek Thompson had the only budget that decreased from last year’s request. His approved budget last year was $1,667,221, and his requested budget for this year is $1,621,500, reflecting a reduction of $45,721, or about a 2.7% decrease. However, the proposed budget is for a full staff, and the department is currently three short.
“As you well know, if we have eight sworn peace officers by July 1, it’ll be a Christmas miracle,” Thompson told the council.
To attract candidates for these open positions, the department has invested in a marketing campaign, which Thompson hopes will help reach potential applicants and “be fruitful to some degree.”