Waurika News Democrat

Local News

June 16, 2010

A little bit less could be more

Rebuilt structure is reflected in Waurika budget

Jeff Kaley Waurika News-Democrat

WAURIKA — Waurika will be operating with a smaller General Fund in the new fiscal year, but the difference will hardly be noticed.

At a special meeting Monday evening, four members of the Waurika City Commission and Waurika Public Works Authority (Vice Mayor Jim Bernard was absent) unanimously approved a General Fund budget for fiscal year 2010-11 that totals $713,300 in projected revenues.

The income is balanced by projected expenditures of $711,800.

The projected revenue for FY ’10-11 is $300 less than the General Fund budget from the last fiscal year. It will mean city officials will need to keep a tight reign on spending. However, in the past year, a process of turning the WPWA into the main source of city income has continued.

With that in mind, a dip in the General Fund budget can been seen as a positive, according to city administrators.

“I think we’ll be in good shape. Our total net worth has gained,” Mayor Gayle Johnson said. “Each month, our total deposits have been increasing and we are gaining ground on turning public works into our revenue generator.

“There will always be unexpected expenses, but a lot of times those can actually be assets.

“It’s a good budget. There’s no way we’re going to run a city with budgets like they used to have.”

The FY ’10-11 budget includes anticipated income from taxes that will total $441,100, which is down by $10,000 from fiscal year 2009-10. Also anticipated is $170,200 in other revenue sources, such as fines and forfeitures, ambulance runs and dispatch fees.

There will also be an anticipated carryover of $102,000, which brings the General Fund revenue for FY ’10-11 to $713,300.

The major expenditures coming up are to fund city departments, topped by a $120,000 expenditure for the police department, $110,000 for the street department, $96,000 for the Waurika Volunteer Ambulance Service and $90,000 for general government.

There will also be a transfer of $123,000 to the WPWA, which will strength the budget for that entity.

As another part of the budget process, the commissioners and WPWA trustees also unanimously approved making supplemental appropriations and transfers for the FY ’10-11 budget.

The supplemental appropriation move $152,900 from the alcohol beverage tax, fines and forfeitures, sales and use tax, and transfers from other funds, into active accounts that will provide operating funds during the change of the fiscal year.

The only other item on the agenda for the special meeting at City Hall was to take action on bids for someone to cut and bale foliage on 65.5 acres of city-owned property. That action was tabled during a regular meeting on June 7.

Ultimately, the commissioners and public works trustees voted unanimously to accept a bid of $1,300 from David Henderson.

The contract with Henderson will require payment up front and will run through Dec. 31.

Copies of the FY’ 10-11 budget broken down by line item are available at City Hall.

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