From the Richmond Palladium-Item:
The proposed 2014 budget for the city of Richmond takes center stage when the Richmond Common Council meets Monday night.
The budget is balanced and is $17.9 million in the general or property tax fund, up about 2 percent over the present year budget. The present year budget is actually the administration’s 2012 budget since council voted down the 2013 budget last year.
By voting down the 2013 budget, council actually approved a more expensive budget. It was the first time in at least 50 years that council had not approved the administration’s budget.
This year the budget may face a better fate.
“I really don’t see any great problems with the budget,” council president Larry Parker said Friday. “I would imagine there would be some discussion (Monday night) but it’s balanced and I think it will pass.”
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Council held the proposed budget on second reading, or public hearing, at its Oct. 7 meeting, which allows members to make additional changes.
Also on Monday’s agenda are the proposed 2014 salary ordinance for all city employees and an ordinance that sets the annual compensation for all elected city officials.
The 2014 budget includes no raises for city officials or for elected officials, except for the mayor. Councilman Ron Oler proposed boosting Hutton’s salary to $72,800 since the mayor has not had a pay increase in nine years and the mayor’s wage is one of the lowest in the state for a city Richmond’s size.
But Hutton said she will not accept the $4,723 increase since city employees don’t get a raise.
“If they are not getting a raise then I’m not getting a raise,” she said this week.
At the Oct. 7 meeting, councilman Phil Quinn also proposed merging the city’s Metropolitan Development and Engineering departments to make government more business friendly and efficient.
City attorney Walt Chidester said council can remove items from the budget but cannot merge departments without the mayor’s approval, and no vote was taken on the proposal.
http://www.pal-item.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310190015&nclick_check=1
