In the first City Council meeting for new Blytheville Mayor James Sanders and three new Council members, the city's governing body will consider the proposed 2011 budget.
The proposed budget, revised after several lengthy Finance and Purchasing Committee meetings, projects $16,510,131 in revenue versus $16,072,946 in expenditures.
One of the hotly debated adjustments to the budget was moving the "contributions to other governments" from the Waterworks and Wastewater budgets into the General Administration budget, which also had money budgeted for that item.
The proposed General Administration budget includes a total of $76,500 contributions to four local organizations.
They include the Greater Blytheville Area Chamber of Commerce ($30,000); Main Street Blytheville ($40,000); Mississippi County Union Mission ($4,000); and Great River Charitable Clinic ($2,500).
The total proposed General Administration expenditures add up to $623,393.
Another hot topic has been the mosquito spray item in the Health and Sanitation budget.
The city anticipates spending $196,000 on mosquito spray service and collecting $254,000 from the $3 month fee.
Meanwhile, the Finance committee spent several hours discussing the Wastewater budget, narrowing the projected shortfall with several cuts.
Wastewater projects revenue of $1,874,305 versus $2,043,900 in expenditures.
In that budget, the city anticipates spending $325,000 on the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality Milestone Study. Last year, the city, under a consent order with ADEQ, agreed to average $500,000 a year for five years in a $2.5 million sewer rehabilitation project that is being mandated by ADEQ.
Another budget addressed at length was the Parks and Recreation budget, which projects $977,743 in expenses. A big chunk of that is Thunder Bayou Golf Links, which projects $638,260 in expenses versus $380,000 in revenue.
Meanwhile, the Waterworks department expects to be in the black, projecting $2,405,423 in revenue versus $1,146,979 in expenditures.
The Council will also consider:
-- An ordinance establishing the rules of order and procedure in City Council meetings.
-- A resolution authorizing the conveyance of land to NER Data Products, Inc. in the Blytheville Industrial Park for $1. The resolution also authorizes the mayor and city clerk to execute a Quitclaim deed to the property in order for NER Data Products to sell the premises to Blytheville School District No. 5.
-- A resolution appointing Curtis Walker as commissioner of the Blytheville Housing Authority.
The Council will meet at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Municipal Courtroom.