Elmer City budget just under $1 million

Elmer City, population 238 in the 2010 census, will take nearly $1 million to run in 2019 according to the preliminary budget, but more than half that money will come from grants for sidewalks and street work.

The Elmer City council discussed the preliminary budget at a meeting Dec. 15.

Expenses include $110,365 from the current expense fund, from which most day-to-day expenses are paid, $620,532 from the street fund, $714 from the real estate excise tax fund, $5,000 from the criminal justice fund, $237,620 from the water sewer fund, and $6,500 from the Transportation Benefit District fund.

That adds up to the $980,731 total expense budget.

The expenditures budget comes out $198,975 under the projected revenue budget.

The town expects to bring in $1,179,706. including $160,398 for the current expense fund, which includes $12,633 from general property taxes, $5,000 from local sales tax, and $42,840 from garbage collection, among other things.

The revenue budget also projects bringing in $635,169 for the streets fund which includes $154,864 from a Transportation Improvement Board sidewalk grant, $208,625 from a TIB chip seal grant, $65,000 from a TIB crack seal grant, and $177,325 from a Surface Transportation Block Grant.

“We will be doing about $500,000 in street work this next year,” said Public Works Director Jimmer Tillman, a happy thought to the council.

The town will carry over $226,733 in cash and investments left over from 2018.

In the town’s other spending plans, items of note include $4,500 for snow and ice control, $10,000 for attorney services in the water and sewer category, and $33,150 for garbage service.

During the budget discussion, Jimmer Tillman and Mayor Jesse Tillman discussed the importance of reserve funds for future expenses.

“We need to be putting money into reserves,” Jimmer Tillman said, specifying equipment replacement, emergency situations, operating, and construction as areas for reserves.

“[Reserve money] can’t be used for a Christmas party,” he said.

Also discussed was an upcoming hike in customer water-sewer charges due to construction of a new wastewater treatment plant expected to take effect at some point in 2019. Mayor Tillman estimated that the bill will go up between $16 and $20 per month per household for expenses related to the plant, as well as possibly an additional $5 for reserves.

“When’s the best time to start a reserve? Yesterday,” Mayor Tillman said.

Sewer rates are currently $45.92 a month, with Elmer City having 185 sewer connections.

The water-and-sewer aspect of the budget may need to be updated, depending on when the new plant gets turned on, and what the actual numbers amount to.

A final public budget hearing is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. at Elmer City hall Dec. 20, with the pending budget approval scheduled for 7 p.m. that night.