The Centralia City Council Monday night approved a $30.5-million overall budget for the fiscal year beginning January 1st while giving high praise to the city manager on the document and improved fiscal health of the city.
Kory Smith said 2022 had been a good year financially for the city and most funds were in good shape for the coming year.
Smith included money for the completion of a comprehensive plan that will largely be paid for out of the tax increment financing districts.
“A lot of this comprehensive plan your input and the council’s input is going to be necessary so when we get everything together we have one direction and we can pursue that direction. A lot of this will also be good for grants when we go to grant writing. Typically they ask about the comprehensive plan and what direction is the city going towards. This is going to help out substantially in that direction as well.”
Smith says there is also money set aside to continue with a new outside pool in Fairview Park if that is the direction the council wants to take.
“So this money in case the committee ever comes to any sort of agreement and then proposes to the council to go forth and the council decides to go forth, we do have engineering costs that will have to be done and we have the money there to go forth. Without allocating this money for engineering costs, we’d be looking to 2024. So this just puts ducks in a row to make sure we are moving in the right direction.”
Smith says there is also $15,000 set aside for other improvements in Fairview Park if a $450,000 state OSLAD grant doesn’t come through. $15,000 is also set aside for new playground equipment in Laura Leake Park which had become a concern in recent months. $10,000 is set aside for tables and benches at Point Park.
Street improvements include $ 1.5 million for the resurfacing of Gragg Street improvements; $800,000 for improvements to Sycamore, $200,000 for improvements to Sunset Road, and $60,000 to replace brick landscaping downtown.
Smith reported city employees will receive a 4-percent raise included in union contracts.
There will be a consumer price index water and sewer rate increase in January that is built into city ordinance and a three-percent trash fee increase in October.
Smith noted there is now a fully staffed police department, with the chief working on receiving donations for one or two new canine units.
The overall General Fund expenditures totaled $ 12.4 million with revenues of $ 13.4 million.
Smith told the council he really likes his job, while council members noted how impressed they were with the budget he presented.
The budget also includes a two percent increase in the property tax levy which will bring in an additional $45,000. The council also approved the levy and agreed at Monday night’s meeting to once again waive all demolition permit fees during 2023.
The council also agreed to give all full-time city employees a $100 Christmas Bonus and Part-time employees $50.
Centralia City Council listens to the budget presentation.
