Monticello Council Adopts Budget

The Monticello City Council voted Tuesday to approve the fiscal year 2018 (FY18) balanced budget coming in at $9,169,545.

A majority of the budget is utilized through the Electric Fund. The budgeted amount for revenues and expenditures for FY 18 is $3,669,818. Electricity sales through February 28, 2017 were $2,431,212.

The Gas Fund was approved at $3,020,084 for FY18. This was an increase of 25 percent over last year’s budgeted amount.

The general fund was approved at $1,256,278.

There were very little increases in the budget and cuts and realignments were made within the budget with the largest one coming from the Financial Administration department with an expenditure decrease of $213,382.

There was a new contract position expenditure added which increased the budget $38,000. The contract position would be a part-time person working as Director of the Downtown Development Authority. The salary for the director was approved at $26,000. This was a salary based on $25/hour for an estimated 24 hours each week.

There is also money allotted for the following:

Salary Tax Match: $2,000

DDA Training: $2,000

Downtown Events: $2,400

Downtown Beautification: $2,000

Downtown Marketing, Meetings & Promotion: $1,500

Annual Audit: $1,500

Downtown Grants, Signage: $1,000

Mayor Bryan Standifer said that this person would promote getting people to the Square. He said that there had been too many closures recently and “we need to drive people to come to the City of Monticello.”

Mayor Pro-tem Stone Workman said how thrilled he was with the staff for bringing a balanced budget. He said that the city could be in a different place if it wasn’t for their work.

The city council met last Thursday to discuss the budget and after questions were answered Tuesday, passed the budget.