Stephanie Garrett, the treasurer of the city of Glasgow, speaks during an earlier meeting with Glasgow City Council members. Garrett is tasked with developing the budget alongside the mayor and other treasury staff.
(WCLU NEWS FILE PHOTO)
BY BRENNAN D. CRAIN, WCLU News
GLASGOW — The city of Glasgow will host a public hearing next Monday, which will allow citizens the opportunity to voice concerns and comments about the proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.
The public hearing is scheduled at city hall at 6:45 p.m. on Monday, June 13, just before the Glasgow City Council is expected to consider the budget for the first time. The budget must undergo two readings before it is approved and official.
“Our goal is to allocate appropriate funds to city departments in order to continue to serve our citizens of Glasgow in ways of safety, upkeep, and entertainment,” according to a memo in the budget draft provided to WCLU News.
Several capital expenditures, including raises for city employees and projects, are expected during the fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2023. The Glasgow City Council must approve the budget through two readings, one of which is scheduled Monday evening during the council’s regular monthly meeting. All portions of the budget draft are subject to change.
City officials said the increase in occupational and net profit tax rates, and sanitation and landfill rates, should assist in funding these expenditures. Recent changes to the city’s landfill and sanitation charges will double current rates.
One of the most significant expenditures is a $4.5 million allotment for a new city pool in Glasgow. The city’s recreation department is also allotted funding to renovate and update city parks and restrooms.
While raises are scattered across city government, the administrative and recreation staff is budgeted to receive the largest allotment of money for salary increases. The 2022 budget included $290,346 for salaries for administrative and $61,609 for recreation. That amount increases to $320,000 for administrative and $98,000 for recreation during the 2022-23 fiscal year.
Hourly administrative staff was budgeted $180,367 in 2022, which increases to $199,000 for the next budget year. Council members are not slated to receive any raises.
Some of the other expenditures budgeted include a new fire engine, a passenger truck and gear for the fire department. The police department is budgeted to receive police cruisers, laptops, new guns, tasers and stop sticks, according to the memo. They were also budgeted $500,000 for buildings, which could go toward funding a new training facility near the department.
The street department is slated to receive two trucks, a snowplow and maintenance funding. The landfill is budgeted to receive a roll off truck, tridump truck, skid steer loader, fences and methane and leachate pump upgrades.
The city stormwater division is to receive $177,000 for projects, according to the budget draft.
The budget draft estimates $28,202,424 in revenue totals next year, which is an increase of $2,880,057 from last year. The expenses are budgeted at $32,179,394 – an $8,744,487 difference from last year. The city estimates $3,976,970 as the overall budget deficit.
The Glasgow City Council’s finance committee is expected to meet in an unusual Friday meeting at Glasgow City Hall. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
