(5/17) The Emmitsburg Town Commissioners
got their first look at Mayor James Hoover’s $1,648,100 proposed operating
budget for fiscal year 2008.
“There’s not anything really outstanding
in this budget from year to year,” Hoover told the commissioners.
The budget is based on the current tax
rate of 36 cents per $100 of assessed value. The $1.7 million operating budget
is 9.4 percent larger or $143,087 more than the current operating budget.
“That increase in the money is from
numerous places,” Commission President Chris Staiger noted.
Property tax collections are estimated at
7 percent more comparing this year’s budget to next year’s, but comparing next
year’s budget to what has been collected this year shows only a neglible
increase.
The town is expecting about $31,000 more
or a 17.2 percent increase in tax equity money from Frederick County. This is
money that county government gives to the town government to reimburse the town
for services the county provides that duplicate services offered by the town.
On the negative side of revenues, the
budget shows nearly two-thirds less in parking meter fees and parking fines.
The budgeted amounts drop from $55,000 combined to $19,811. When The Dispatch
asked Hoover about the large decrease, it was discovered that a typo in the
line item for parking meter fees shortchanged the town about $20,295.
“That means we’ve got $20,000 more to
spend somewhere else,” Hoover said.
As far as where the money will be spent,
the street department will see a nearly two-thirds increase jumping from
$201,178 this year to $330,718 for next year.
However, parks, recreation and culture
will see an 11.7 percent drop from $188,993 to $166,792. Planning and zoning
will also see a 37.8 percent drop from $162,262 to $100,957.
“Now it’s this board’s budget to look at,
discuss it and at a future meeting vote on it,” Hoover said. “The bottom line
is that the bottom line has to stay balanced.”
The commissioners also got a look at the
proposed $729,219 capital improvement program. The items in this budget are for
one-time purchases for large equipment and land or for the materials to
maintain those items.
“You’ll see a $60,000 revenue increase
related to an increase in the impact fees,” Hoover said.
The town currently receives $1,200 in
impact fees for each dwelling unit built in town. Hoover proposed to increase
that number to $3,200 per unit. With the increase, the town expects to receive
$96,000 in impact fees next year. Among the new projects included in the list
is a Silo Hill Road median and streetlights along South Seton. It also includes
money for the community pool, sidewalk/tree replacement and street repaving.
The commissioners will begin discussing
the budget at the May 21 town meeting and the approved budget will take affect
beginning July 1.
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