During November’s Blytheville Finance Committee meeting, the committee got its first look at the proposed 2019 budget. The proposed budget totals $26,705,195.01, which accounts for every department within the City of Blytheville. The budget represents a $659,798.83 increase from the original un-amended 2018 budget. The budget reflects numbers for both 2019’s proposed budget as well as a comparison of 2018’s budget. Not all departments will be broken down; however, the ones with the most noticeable changes will be featured.
Starting with General Administration, the budget has a proposed department total of $704,010. This represents a $44,167.30 increase from 2018’s budget. The department has a large increase in personnel salaries from $192,735 in 2018 to $242,000 in 2019; however, there is a large decrease in contract labor from $19,500 in 2018 to just $1,000 in 2019. General admin also sees a notable increase in payroll taxes and group insurance with taxes being $17,626 in 2018 to $21,855 in 2019 and insurance being $13,284 in 2018 to $24,354 in 2019.
Most General Operations expenditures remain the same from 2018; however there is a notable difference in legal fees in expenses from $54,000 in 2018 to $10,000 in 2019. Professional services is also up by $15,000 from last year coming in at $35,000.
The Blytheville Police Department is budgeted at $9,839,197.61 compared to $10,730,449.52 last year. Though the department’s budget appears to be incredibly high both this year and last year, a significant portion of the department’s budget represents the construction and loan payments of the new Blytheville Justice Complex. The budget includes $2,750,000 for building construction as well as $3,050,000 for loan payments. The 2018 budget also included a line item of $900,000 for old jail fees, which has been left blank in the 2019 budget.
Other notable increases/decreases include a decrease in equipment replacement from $494,800 in 2018 to $382,000 in 2019. There is an increase $30,360 in gas and oil coming in at 114,600 for 2019.
Animal control also sees a significant increase in their annual budget for 2019 coming in at $127,021.82 compared to $1000,822.83 in 2018. The most notable increase in the budget is for building maintenance, $7,000 in 2018 compared to $18,000 in 2019.
Code Enforcement has two noticeable decreases in personnel with an $8,666 decrease in salaries coming in at $110,912 for 2019 and a $7,749 decrease in group insurance coming at $9,963 for 2019.
The department also sees several smaller increases in general operation line items including; $2,654 for “equipment under $1,000” in 2019 compared to $276 in 2018, an increase in gas and oil from $3,500 in 2018 to $6,000 in 2019, an increase in communications phone for $3,780 in 2019 compared to $2,700 in 2018 and a construction charge of $1,440 in 2019 compared to $0 in 2018.
Code Enforcement has a department total of $165,843.58 compared to $175,599.38.
The Delta Gateway Museum appears to have a significant decrease in 2019 being budgeted at $103,066 as compared to $125,746.74 in 2018. The biggest decease in the budget is in the professional services line item, which was $50,000 in 2018 and $25,000 in 2019; however, noted at the bottom of the budget it states, “50/50 matching funds for federal IMLS grant in the amount of $25,000 to total to $50,000 for the permanent Agriculture exhibit.”
The Ritz Civic Center shows a $40,000 decrease in their budget coming in at $45,000 for 2019. The $40,000 difference represents the equipment replacement of the Ritz’s seating in 2018.
The Shop is budgeted for $88,127 in 2019 and was budgeted for $95,240 in 2018. Notable increases/decreases include a difference in salaries, which were budgeted for $68,000 in 2018 and are budgeted for $56,818 in 2019. The budget also sees an increase in “maintenance and repair- other” coming in at $2,500 in 2019 and $400 in 2018.
The Street Department also has some significant differences in this year’s budget compared to last year. Totaling at $1,125,580 in 2019 compared to $1,323,749 in 2018. In the personnel section of the budget, the salaries line item increase to $532,000 in 2019 from $490,000 in 2018. There is also a significant increase in equipment replacement, which is budgeted for $60,000 compared to $25,000 in 2018; however, the most significant decrease in the budget is for street construction, which was budgeted for $397,800 in 2018 and is now budgeted for $100,000 in 2019.
Signs and Signals also shows a significant decrease in overall budget to $365,463.85 in 2019 from $394,368 in 2018. With the most significant decrease being $30,000 in equipment replacement in 2018 to $0 in 2019.
The Wastewater department is budgeted at $1,772,750 for 2019 compared to $2,006,789. Though several line items in general operations are lowered or increased by less than $5,000, the most significant changes include an decrease in equipment replacement, $125,000 in 2019 compared to $395,000 in 2018, an increase in maintenance repair, $425,000 in 2019 compared to $375,000 in 2018 and a decrease in permit and inspections, $28,000 in 2019 compared to $20,000 in 2018.
Thunder Bayou Golf Links drops to $489,237 from $615,817. Noticeable changes include $22,140 in group insurance compared to $13,284 in 2018 as well as $230,000 in salaries compared to $200,000 in 2018.
The most significant change comes from equipment replacement, which was budgeted for $127,000 in 2018 and is budgeted for $0 in 2019.
The City Parks and Pools budget has a significant decrease with $81,350 in 2019 compared to $170,700 in 2018. Noticeable decreases include $33,000 for building maintenance in 2018 to $7,000 in 2019. Equipment replacement is also down from $37,000 in 2018 to $0 in 2019. Grounds maintenance is also down from $33,000 in 2018 to $5,000 in 2019.
Waterworks is budgeted for $7,114,688 in 2019 compared to $6,842,013 in 2018. Increases and decreases are noticeable across nearly every line item in general operations with a significant increase in “new well” $1,250,000 in 2019 compared to $940,000 in 2018 and a $10,000 increase in both communications radio and insurance, both of which were budgeted for $30,000 in 2018.
The budget will be reviewed by the Blytheville Finance Committee at their December committee meeting, which is scheduled for December 13.
gwilliams@blythevillecourier.com